Jon Odriozola, a former professional cyclist and current director of the amateur team Smartlog, has shared his deep enthusiasm for participating in the Tour of the Basque Country. He specifically mentioned the stages that passed through towns like Bergara, Oñati, and Legazpi, where he maintains many friendships.
“"Participating in the Tour of the Basque Country gave me tremendous excitement; I remember Bergara, Oñati, Legazpi... I have many friends in those towns."
However, Odriozola admitted that he often arrived at the Itzulia out of peak form, as his main objectives were the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España, and the World Championships. Consequently, he would compete with an extra five or six kilograms. Nevertheless, as a team director, he managed to overcome this "thorn in his side" when, in 2007, leading Euskaltel-Euskadi, Samuel Sánchez secured a third-place finish. He later also worked with the Murias team.
“"I had other goals in mind; the Tour, the Vuelta, and the World Championships were the main ones, and I would arrive at the Itzulia with five or six extra kilos."
Odriozola described it as a privilege to have competed with “two teams that could have been the Basque national team, supported by the best fans in the world.” Furthermore, he highlighted the positive impact of bringing such a race to the valley, noting that seeing cyclists up close can undoubtedly ignite a desire in young children to become cyclists themselves.
“"For a small child, seeing the cyclists up close can undoubtedly spark the desire to become a cyclist."
