Basque rider Irati Aranguren will make the leap to the professional ranks in 2026 with LABORAL Kutxa-Euskadi, fulfilling what she describes as her “childhood dream”. The 18-year-old from Usurbil, Gipuzkoa, has signed a two-year deal through to the end of 2027, joining the Spanish WorldTour-bound team after an impressive 2025 junior season.
Aranguren already had a taste of life at the top level this summer, riding as a stagiaire in four European classics. Her performances, combined with a string of results on home soil, convinced the Basque team to offer her a full-time contract. For LABORAL Kutxa-Euskadi, the signing also represents a continuation of its long-term mission – to nurture local riders and provide a clear pathway from the grassroots of the Basque cycling scene to the professional peloton.
A standout season on the junior circuit
Aranguren’s 2025 campaign has been a breakthrough year as a junior. She was runner-up at the Spanish National Championships for the second consecutive season, while also winning both the Copa de España and Torneo Euskaldun overall classifications – two of Spain’s most prestigious junior competitions. She added stage race victories at the Emakumezko Gipuzkoako Itzulia and the Vuelta a Pamplona, confirming her as one of the country’s most promising young riders.
Her form extended to the international calendar as well, with second overall at the Bizkaikoloreak Juniors, where she also won the mountains classification, and sixth overall at the Watersley Ladies Challenge in the Netherlands. Aranguren also represented Spain at the World Championships in Kigali and the European Championships in Drôme-Ardèche, gaining vital experience against the best young riders in the world.
Before stepping up, she developed her skills at the Andoaingo Txirrindulari Eskola, a club renowned for producing top Basque talent, and has also competed successfully in cyclocross – further underlining her versatility.
“It’s something really special to do it with the team from home”
“Ever since I started cycling as a little girl, the dream was always to become a professional,” Aranguren said. “To finally achieve it is extraordinary, and it’s even more special to do it with the team from home. As a rider, I see myself as someone who works hard and fights right to the end to achieve goals, but who’s also ready to help my teammates whenever needed.
“In the next two years, I want to learn from my teammates and from the peloton. I’m still very young and have a lot to develop, so I hope to take those first steps to grow into a complete rider. Like every young cyclist, I dream of one day racing at the Olympic Games. That would be something incredible.
“I’ve always loved the Itzulia, because it’s the race of home – I grew up watching it on the roadside and on TV. But I also really like races like the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix. They’re brutal, but that’s part of what makes them beautiful.”
A project built around local talent
LABORAL Kutxa-Euskadi sports director Ion Lazkano praised Aranguren’s commitment and progression. “We’re really happy to welcome Irati to the team,” he said. “She’s young, from the Basque Country, and full of determination. Her step up to the professional level gives even more meaning to our project, which is all about helping riders from our region realise their ambitions.
“She already got to know the team this year as a stagiaire, which was a great experience for both sides. We’ve seen her potential and attitude up close, and she’s shown she’s ready for this next chapter.”
Aranguren becomes LABORAL Kutxa-Euskadi’s first confirmed signing for 2026, joining a strong core of renewed riders including Naia Amondarain, Yuliia Biriukova, Idoia Eraso, Catalina Soto, and Cristina Tonetti, alongside Alice Arzuffi, Arianna Fidanza, Yanina Kuskova, Usoa Ostolaza and Debora Silvestri, who all remain under contract.
For a team that has steadily built a reputation as both a competitive force and a cultural symbol of Basque cycling, Irati Aranguren’s arrival feels fitting – a local talent taking her next step on home roads, ready to learn, grow, and one day lead the way for the next generation.
