Human Powered Health continues its month of stage racing in Spain at the Women’s WorldTour Itzulia Women from May 16 through 18.
The three rolling stages in the Basque Country suit attack-filled racing and punchy riders. The team is carrying momentum off a podium performance at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic.
The roster brings the team’s punchiest riders to the fore. Thalita de Jong and Ruth Edwards, back at full health after battling back from early-season injuries, join Giada Borghesi, Carlotta Cipressi, Yurani Blanco, and Katia Ragusa.
How to watch
UK
TNT Sports/Discovery+ from 11:30 am
Europe
Eurosport/Discovery+ from 12:30 pm
The 2024 race announced Thalita de Jong as an athlete to watch in short WorldTour stage races. The 31-year-old was never outside of the top ten last year at Itzulia and finished second on the final stage and seventh on the GC.
“Normally, this race suits me well,” she said. “I like the area, or at least the parcours. Hopefully, the weather will be better than in the Vuelta, where it rained a lot. The shorter climbs suit me well, so let’s see how full the tank is again after the Vuelta.”
Still on the road to recovery from an injury at the Classics, de Jong reset at her home in Spain, taking some useful R&R ahead of Itzulia.
“After the Vuelta, my legs are still not super smooth,” she said. “But, in my head, all is okay, and I’m ready to race hard. Time at home was nice to get some positive vibes with friends.”
Itzulia Women Stage by Stage
5/16 Stage 1 | Zumarraga – Agurain (148.5 km) Medium Mountains
With only three stages, there’s no easy lead-in period at Itzulia. At 1,867 meters, stage 1 already has the most climbing. It will be an attritional day, slowly grinding down the pack before a technical finish in Agurain that sees the peloton navigate five roundabouts and a 90-degree bend with 300 meters to go. Being well-positioned around that will be crucial for the sprint.
5/17 Stage 2 | Ugao-Miraballes – Igorre (116 km) Hilly
Stage 2 is front-loaded with two categorized climbs inside the opening 40 km. After that, the parcours is rolling with some lumps and bumps to get over before a flatter 25 km run-in. The two intermediate sprints, placed 20 km and 6 km from Igorre, will be hotly contested for time bonuses before the final kick. With a lack of dedicated sprinting power on the start list, the opening stages should come down to bunch sprints and favour puncheurs with a fast finish.
5/18 Stage 3 | Donostia – Donostia (112.9 km) Medium Mountains
The final stage will be an epic showdown, with the time gaps likely to be tight. As with the other stages, this makes the sprint bonus checkpoints in the valley between the Jaizkibel and Mendizorrotz climbs crucial for those wanting to jump up in the GC. The Mendizorrotz tops out with 12 km to race. 6.4 km at 5.3%, with the first 4.6 km at 6.5%, it acts as a launchpad for victory. In previous years, it has been instrumental in crowning a solo winner.
