Women’s GP Ciudad de Eibar History
The GP Ciudad de Eibar kicked off in 2018 at the Spanish national level as part of their extensive domestic calendar. Sara Martin won that inaugural edition whilst racing for Sopela. The following season saw Lorena Llamas Garcia win for Movistar before Covid called a halt to the race in 2020. When the race returned in 2021, it was a UCI race at the 1.1 level and immediately saw a boost in the startlist quality. Anna van der Breggen beat Annemiek van Vleuten and Elisa Longo Borghini to the finish that year. She’d managed to go clear on the final climb up to Arrate.
That climb makes a return to the final of the race in 2024 due to a festival in Eibar itself. The last pair of editions saw the Alto San Miguel as a final late climb with a descent a late push to the finish line in the town. Olivia Baril was the absolute queen of that version of the route, winning both editions that didn’t feature the Arrate conclusion.
Previous Winners
2023
Olivia Baril
2022
Olivia Baril
2021
Anna van der Breggen
Women’s GP Ciudad de Eibar 2024 Profile
TV Coverage
Sunday 26th May 2024
Live on Youtube
7:55am-12:30pm
All times in BST
Twitter:#CiudaddeEibar24
Startlist: FirstCycling
Women’s GP Ciudad de Eibar 2024 Contenders
Olivia Baril, the winner of the last two editions of the GP Ciudad de Eibar, will be going for a three-peat. Her fast finish kick and climbing skills make her a top contender. She took a 3rd at the Vuelta Femenina but might’ve wished for more results there. At Itzula Women in her adopted Basque Country home, she was a solid 6th place with a trio of top-10 finishes though. She’s probably the pre-race favourite again here. Mareille Meijering was fairly quiet throughout Spain month after impressing previously with a GC win at Vuelta Extremadura. She closed out with a 6th at Durango-Durango though. There’s also Paula Patiño, who placed third in 2019 and has notable climbing abilities but is often used as a domestique.
Human Powered Health are one of the few other Women’s WorldTour teams at this year’s GP Ciudad de Eibar. Yulia Biriukova, who finished third in 2023, is probably their best opportunity although she’s not had a strong individual result since the end of February. The Ukrainian was 2nd at Clasica de Almeria back then but hasn’t been able to take an opportunity since. Henrietta Christie is a good alternative and has been solid so far this year. She was consistently there or thereabouts in the Ardennes and that run has continued into Spain month where the Kiwi has finished 20-somethingth repeatedly. Normally Krista Doebel-Hickok would be an obvious climbing threat but is still working her way back to full fitness. Now based in Europe for the year maybe this race will be a positive turning point.
Roland will be looking to see what they can do with a strong trio. Elena Hartmann had a fun time in El Salvador this year, taking 4 wins along the way. She’d been quiet in Europe since finishing 15th at Durango Durango 2 weeks ago. Russian rider Tamara Dronova isn’t the purest climber but still finished in the teens across most of Spain month. She was 14th in GC at the Vuelta a Burgos as well as 12ths at Itzula Women and Navarra Elite Classics. Then Anna Kiesenhofer will be targeting this race as well with potentially a solo break, as is her style. It’s been a quiet season results-wise though so far.
The recent results by Karolina Perekitko, including a podium at the Women Cycling Pro Costa De Almería and top-ten finishes in multiple races, highlight the possibility of a good result here as well. The Pole was almost there against WWT opposition but has her best recent result of 11th at Navarra Elite Classics. She’s already signed an extension at Winspace for next season so has the freedom to race without results being all or nothing.
Ane Santesteban has multiple podium finishes at GP Ciudad de Eibar including second in 2022, and is a home favourite. She’s knocking on the door of a big result with 10th at Duango-Durango, 15th at the most sprinty Itzulia Women and 10th at Fleche Wallonne. Yurani Blanco Calbet finished 12th at Durango-Durango and 10th at Navarra Elite Classics. Whilst Santesteban is the bigger name rider, Blanco Calbet is having another quietly good season.
Elisa Valtulini of BePink-Bongioanni is only 19 years old but is a rider to keep an eye on. She’s been inside the top 20 at Durango-Durango and Navarra Elite Classics but took some impressive results at home in Italy before Spain month. 6th in the flat finish at GP della Liberazione PINK and 5th in GC at the Giro Mediterraneo in Rosa too. There are bigger teams already interested in signing her for 2025.
Women’s GP Ciudad de Eibar 2024 Outsiders
AG Insurance-Soudal’s Mireia Benito will be representing the Spanish National Team here. She’s usually supporting some of the bigger names on the team like Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio or Sarah Gigante but has shown that she can climb well. 15th at Trofeo Palma Femina is her best result of the 2024 season so far but this will be a chance to get up there and match that.
Leonie Laubig has been showing consistent improvement and is a potential dark horse. Recent results include a good top-10 at Trofeo Ponente in Rosa, 5th at Porec Trophy and just snuck into the top-20 at GP Plumelec-Morbihan. With few genuine WWT threats, the German has a shout here.
Maude Le Roux is a good climber but recently has been doing flat races in Belgium and the Netherlands. That’s not the best place for the South African to get a result and the GP Ciudad de Eibar should be a better opportunity for her to impress. Teammate Anastasiya Kolesava has been going well recently. Some strong stage results at the 2.2 Trofeo Ponente in Rosa were backed up at the Festival Elsy Jacobs and La Classique Morbihan. Kolesava has a top-10 chance here.
Top 3 Prediction
- Olvia Baril
- Ane Santesteban
- Tamara Dronova
