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Clasica de Ordizia 2026 preview: a Basque classic for riders who race early

Ordizia gives Bilbao, Aranburu, Barrenetxea, Romeo and Berrade a short, sharp Basque test where waiting too long can lose the race.

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Pello Bilbao

Bilbao and Aranburu are the headline names, with Jon Barrenetxea, Ivan Romeo and Urko Berrade as the most interesting attackers.

Alex Aranburu

Alex Aranburu has the climbing or all-round profile to stay in the overall race when the route starts taking time.

Jon Barrenetxea

Jon Barrenetxea belongs in the GC tier because the race should reward repeatability, not one isolated attack.

Iván Romeo

Iván Romeo gives Clásica de Ordizia - Ordiziako Klasikoa another credible overall option if the top favorite is forced to defend early.

Urko Berrade

Urko Berrade can move up if the race is decided by positioning, recovery and small gaps rather than one set-piece climb.

Clásica de Ordizia – Ordiziako Klasikoa 2026

Clasica de Ordizia is a deceptively hard Basque one-day race. It favors riders who know when to move before the final selection looks obvious.

Why this race matters

The race matters because it gives Basque specialists and Spanish all-rounders a home stage between larger calendar targets.

Route and pressure points

Repeated climbs and technical roads make the race hard to control, especially if local teams place strong riders in the break.

Favorites for the overall

Bilbao and Aranburu are the headline names, with Jon Barrenetxea, Ivan Romeo and Urko Berrade as the most interesting attackers. The current favorites card is led by Pello Bilbao, Alex Aranburu, Jon Barrenetxea, Iván Romeo and Urko Berrade.

What could change the race

If Pello Bilbao and Alex Aranburu mark each other, Ivan Romeo or Urko Berrade can use the hesitation.

Recent context

Ordizia’s history is full of winners who had enough climbing strength to force a small group and enough speed to finish it.