The Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco may be just six days long, but the Basque Country’s premier bike event invariably manages to pack in some of the most intense and hard-fought racing of the cycling calendar into that comparatively short period. The challenging terrain and meteorology of the Basque Country - short, steep, and often slippery climbs, treacherous descents, narrow roads and highly unpredictable weather - all add to the race’s difficulty. Its similarities with the Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Amstel Gold Race courses make la Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco a favourite for riders polishing their form for the Ardennes Classics two weeks later. La Vuelta al País Vasco’s importance on the cycling calendar is confirmed by its list of prestigious winners, ranging from Spanish cycling hero Luis Ocaña in the 1970s through to Irish stars Stephen Roche and Sean Kelly in the 1980s, then Swiss cycling legend Tony Rominger in the 1990s. Since 2008, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) has been a dominating force in the race, winning it that year, in 2009 and again in 2014. Contador’s victory in the Vuelta al País Vasco last season was arguably his most impressive. After attacking in the first stage alongside Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Contador dropped his key rival to claim victory and the overall lead. He did not relinquish the top spot overall for the next five days, despite Valverde’s best efforts. Were Contador to take part in the Basque stage race next April again, he would find many familiar elements. The race starts on Monday April 6th with a relatively straightforward first two stages, the first starting and finishing in Bilbao, the second running southeast to the Basque Country capital, Vitoria. A hilly third stage precedes the most difficult day of all, which culminates with the hallowed summit finish on Mont Arrate above the industrial city of Eibar - last year won by the Netherland’s Wout Poels. But the real Vuelta al País Vasco showdown comes, as ever, two days later on the final stage’s 18.3 kilometre time trial. This time it is set to be held in the town of Aia on a similarly technical course to last year which saw Valverde struggle and drop to fifth, while Contador defended his overall lead against the future UCI World Champion, Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick Step). France’s Jean-Christophe Peraud (AG2R La Mondiale) claimed third place overall. Contador is not expected to return to the Vuelta al País Vasco this year, but 2013 winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar) is likely to head the field. Two years ago, his victory in this stage race was a breakthrough for the young Colombian: another win in 2015 would confirm he is well on track for his biggest challenge of the season, the Tour de France.