Description
May 11, 2026
12th Santikutz Klasika / Clasica Santacruz 2026 (1.12.1) – Legazpi – Legazpi : 141,9 km
Santikutz Klasika unfolds across the rugged, rolling hills of the Basque Country,
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May 11, 2026
12th Santikutz Klasika / Clasica Santacruz 2026 (1.12.1) – Legazpi – Legazpi : 141,9 km
Santikutz Klasika unfolds across the rugged, rolling hills of the Basque Country, where the roads twist and climb through a landscape of steep green slopes, terraced farmland, and tight, winding valleys, their surfaces a mix of smooth tarmac and rougher, weathered stretches that tell the story of a region built for climbing. The terrain is a relentless succession of short, punchy ascents and technical descents, their gradients often exceeding 10% as they snake through villages clinging to the hillsides, the roads narrowing to little more than a car’s width in places. The climbs, though not long, are steep and unforgiving, their slopes forcing riders to dig deep with every pedal stroke, while the descents are fast and technical, their surfaces slick with dampness or loose gravel, demanding precision as the roads twist through hairpin bends and sudden drops. Between the climbs, the route flattens briefly, but the roads remain exposed, the wind cutting across the open ridges, turning the race into a tactical battle as riders fight for position in the peloton or the shelter of a breakaway. The race typically begins with a cautious rhythm, the peloton conserving energy for the inevitable attacks, but as the kilometers pass, the accelerations grow more frequent, the climbs acting as launchpads for moves that thin the group to the strongest. The finish often arrives after a final, leg-sapping ascent to the line, where a reduced bunch sprints for victory, or a lone rider who has escaped the chaos holds off the charging pack by a handful of seconds, the mist clinging to the hills as the race reaches its dramatic conclusion.
The Santikutz Klasika enjoyed a spectacular meteorology and a vibrant outcome, in which Iker Pérez (Caja Rural ALEA) achieved a nice solo triumph in Legazpi ahead of Vicent Zaragoza (Natural Greatness RALI ALÉ) and Igor Iriarte (Eulen Amenabar). In the elite and under-23 Spanish Cup, Daniel Cepa (Caja Rural ALEA) is still the leader.
The race followed a fairly usual script in an appointment as tough as Legazpi’s, with a continuous change in the race head, in which different groups and runners alternated. Although there were interesting cuts where important men such as Emilio García (Finisher), Vicent Zaragoza (Natural Greatness-Rali-ALÉ), Adrià Regada or Nil Aguilera (Caja Rural-Alea) Marc Colles (Telco-ON Clima-Osès), Marc Dols (Illes Balears-Arabay) or Aimar Tadeo (Equipo Cortizo), among many others, the differences with the main group never managed to be relevant.
The race was already fully launched between the men of this elite Spanish Cup and under-23 in Kirtenberg, subtracting just over 30 kilometers for the end, although the work of Caja Rural-Alea did not allow any of the cyclists who sought to leave with an advantage to reach the linked final of Gabiria and Atagoiti, taking advantage of the hard ramps of this wall. Precisely at the beginning of Gabiria, 12 kilometers from the end, the key movement of the day was going to occur with Iker Pérez and a very combative Vicent Zaragoza launching a hard attack that could only be followed by Emilio García and Igor Iriarte (Grupo Eulen-Amenabar).
The quartet opened an interesting gap with the small main group where Daniel Cepa traveled with the yellow jersey of the Spanish Cup, and seeing that it was making its way, Iker Pérez started again after the victory. Only Emilio García joined that new axe, and although the Finisher crowned the port in the lead next to the Extremaduran of Caja Rural, it was appreciated that he had done it in an agonizing way. Pérez, aware of this, as soon as Gabiria’s descent was finished, threw his order and put García in trouble again. The chase lasted a few minutes, with just 20 meters between both runners, but the rubber ended up breaking and Iker Pérez escaped alone to perform a final time trial of 8 kilometers.
There were no surprises and the brave Cáceres Iker Pérez overcame the summit of Atagoiti and ended up arriving left and uncompanyed to the final stretch of Legazpi to celebrate a superb victory in a big way. From behind, Emilio García paid for the effort and saw how Zaragoza and Iriarte ended up being overtook him, runners who finally occupied the podium. Almost a minute later the main peloton reached the finish line, leaving a vibrant and hard-fought sprint between Daniel Cepa and Jon Conejero (Smartlog-Nest), in their particular fight for the Spanish Cup, which also fell in favor of the Caja Rural-Alea cyclist.
Results :
 </strong> - Legazpi - Legazpi : 141,9 km
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Santikutz Klasika unfolds across the rugged, rolling hills of the Basque Country, where the roads twist and climb through a landscape of steep green slopes, terraced farmland, and tight, winding valleys, their surfaces a mix of smooth tarmac and rougher, weathered stretches that tell the story of a region built for climbing. The terrain is a relentless succession of short, punchy ascents and technical descents, their gradients often exceeding 10% as they snake through villages clinging to the hillsides, the roads narrowing to little more than a car’s width in places. The climbs, though not long, are steep and unforgiving, their slopes forcing riders to dig deep with every pedal stroke, while the descents are fast and technical, their surfaces slick with dampness or loose gravel, demanding precision as the roads twist through hairpin bends and sudden drops. Between the climbs, the route flattens briefly, but the roads remain exposed, the wind cutting across the open ridges, turning the race into a tactical battle as riders fight for position in the peloton or the shelter of a breakaway. The race typically begins with a cautious rhythm, the peloton conserving energy for the inevitable attacks, but as the kilometers pass, the accelerations grow more frequent, the climbs acting as launchpads for moves that thin the group to the strongest. The finish often arrives after a final, leg-sapping ascent to the line, where a reduced bunch sprints for victory, or a lone rider who has escaped the chaos holds off the charging pack by a handful of seconds, the mist clinging to the hills as the race reaches its dramatic conclusion.
The Santikutz Klasika enjoyed a spectacular meteorology and a vibrant outcome, in which Iker Pérez (Caja Rural ALEA) achieved a nice solo triumph in Legazpi ahead of Vicent Zaragoza (Natural Greatness RALI ALÉ) and Igor Iriarte (Eulen Amenabar). In the elite and under-23 Spanish Cup, Daniel Cepa (Caja Rural ALEA) is still the leader.
The race followed a fairly usual script in an appointment as tough as Legazpi's, with a continuous change in the race head, in which different groups and runners alternated. Although there were interesting cuts where important men such as Emilio García (Finisher), Vicent Zaragoza (Natural Greatness-Rali-ALÉ), Adrià Regada or Nil Aguilera (Caja Rural-Alea) Marc Colles (Telco-ON Clima-Osès), Marc Dols (Illes Balears-Arabay) or Aimar Tadeo (Equipo Cortizo), among many others, the differences with the main group never managed to be relevant.
The race was already fully launched between the men of this elite Spanish Cup and under-23 in Kirtenberg, subtracting just over 30 kilometers for the end, although the work of Caja Rural-Alea did not allow any of the cyclists who sought to leave with an advantage to reach the linked final of Gabiria and Atagoiti, taking advantage of the hard ramps of this wall. Precisely at the beginning of Gabiria, 12 kilometers from the end, the key movement of the day was going to occur with Iker Pérez and a very combative Vicent Zaragoza launching a hard attack that could only be followed by Emilio García and Igor Iriarte (Grupo Eulen-Amenabar).
The quartet opened an interesting gap with the small main group where Daniel Cepa traveled with the yellow jersey of the Spanish Cup, and seeing that it was making its way, Iker Pérez started again after the victory. Only Emilio García joined that new axe, and although the Finisher crowned the port in the lead next to the Extremaduran of Caja Rural, it was appreciated that he had done it in an agonizing way. Pérez, aware of this, as soon as Gabiria's descent was finished, threw his order and put García in trouble again. The chase lasted a few minutes, with just 20 meters between both runners, but the rubber ended up breaking and Iker Pérez escaped alone to perform a final time trial of 8 kilometers.
There were no surprises and the brave Cáceres Iker Pérez overcame the summit of Atagoiti and ended up arriving left and uncompanyed to the final stretch of Legazpi to celebrate a superb victory in a big way. From behind, Emilio García paid for the effort and saw how Zaragoza and Iriarte ended up being overtook him, runners who finally occupied the podium. Almost a minute later the main peloton reached the finish line, leaving a vibrant and hard-fought sprint between Daniel Cepa and Jon Conejero (Smartlog-Nest), in their particular fight for the Spanish Cup, which also fell in favor of the Caja Rural-Alea cyclist.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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