World champion Igor Astarloa will make his debut in 2025 in the EPIC Gran Canaria cycling race, thus settling an 'unfinished business' with the island, in which he will compete for the first time. In the last edition, the Biscayan cyclist was unable to participate in the race due to a last-minute cancellation of his flight to the island due to a bout of wind, but this year he is determined to join the starting line.
“It’s like a rematch. Missing out last year was tough, but this year it means a lot to me to be here. Also, after finishing second in the Vuelta a Gran Canaria, I’m even more eager to enjoy and give it my all in an event like the EPIC.” With the confirmation of Astarloa, the EPIC Gran Canaria adds a new star for its eighth edition on February 8 and 9, taking over the island’s most well-known and privileged routes throughout the weekend with the best sporting spectacle.
Igor Astarloa began his professional cycling career in 2000 and in 2003 he was crowned world champion in road cycling at the World Championships held in Hamilton (Canada), a milestone that enhanced a career with other great sporting achievements such as the Belgian Classic Fleche Wallonne, where he made history as the first Spaniard to win the championship title. His brilliant record includes fourth place in the Tirreno-Adriatico and sixth in the Milan-Sanremo, and the Milan-Turin in 2006, among others.
After more than 10 active seasons, the tough and fast cyclist from Ermua remains linked to the world of cycling, which he maintains as his great passion, and which he will enjoy alongside the more than 500 cyclists who will meet in Gran Canaria to crown the mid-distances and summits of the island on a sports weekend. Astarloa, who also captained the opening of the Giro d'Italia on a motorcycle, opens up with his experience to amateur and professional cycling on the island, which will have its epicenter in Maspalomas for a full weekend of adrenaline.
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The Basque athlete will make his debut, this time, in the EPIC Gran Canaria, which is being renewed as a race on the UCI calendar and within the Gran Fondo World Tour circuit. “I am very excited. Last year it was frustrating not to be able to participate because of the flight cancellation, but this year I am determined to enjoy this experience. In addition, I have fond memories of Gran Canaria, as I recently competed in the Vuelta a Gran Canaria, where I came second behind the local rider Germán Hernández. That race made me realize the level of the Canarian cyclists and the beauty of the island's routes,” he said.
The EPIC Gran Canaria is back, bringing together the great names of international cycling, with names such as Haimar Zubeldia, Claudio Chiapucci, Iban Mayo and Alessandro Ballan already confirmed. With a weekend of sport and a great cycling festival for all levels, Astarloa has set himself the goal of “enjoying every moment and giving my best, but without the pressure of times or competition”. He has reviewed the route to be able to “immerse myself in the atmosphere and finish each stage with the satisfaction of having given my best”.
He won’t make it easy, but neither will the circuit. “I think the time trials to Ayacata and Fataga will be the most difficult because they are long and demanding climbs, but that is precisely what makes the EPIC so special. I love challenges, and these slopes will test not only the legs, but also the mind,” he said. The EPIC “is not just a race, it is a unique experience, with a tough course, but with landscapes and an atmosphere that compensate for everything.”
For the world champion, this race in Gran Canaria is an opportunity to reconnect with his passion. “Cycling has given me a lot, and participating in the EPIC is a way of giving something back. If my presence can motivate someone to excel or discover the beauty of cycling, I feel like I am fulfilling an important purpose.” His expectations for February 8 and 9 go beyond the sporting: “I want to take away not only the memory of the route, but also the emotions, the connections with other cyclists and the feeling of having been part of something special.”
A demanding journey
The EPIC Gran Canaria repeats with two stages with 115 kilometers and two timed sections, and 75 kilometers and a competitive section, without failing to meet its demanding slopes designed to enjoy cycling.
The first stage takes one of the most popular routes on the island, through Arteara, Fataga, Tirajana and El Pajar to Pasito Blanco. Demanding, solid and a real test of endurance, this first stage has a timed section of 12,3 kilometres at 470 metres of altitude and an average gradient of 4,4% and a second time trial of 45 kilometres and 1.304 metres of altitude, with an average gradient of 4,7% between Pasito Blanco on its climb to Ayacata. The second stage will be the decisive phase for the podium, with 75 kilometres of circuit and a time trial of 22 kilometres, at 1.304 metres of altitude, and with an average gradient of 4,7%.
