Clásica Provincia de Chiriquí 2026: Preview and Favorites from Euskaltel-Euskadi

Clásica Provincia de Chiriquí 2026: top cycling returns to Panama On Saturday 17 October 2026, the Clásica Provincia de Chiriquí takes place, a procontinental race held in Panama. An event that ideally closes the road season in Central America and will see a peloton of eleven verified riders at the start, with a clear prevalence of the Basque team Euskaltel-Euskadi. The protagonists expected at the start The verified startlist counts eleven entrants, distributed as follows: Euskaltel-Euskadi (5): Xabier Berasategi, Xabier Isasa, Gotzon Martín, Hodei Muñoz, Gari Ugarte Colombia (6): Jeferson Armando Ruiz, William Esteban Quintero, Nelson Fabián Jiménez, Daniel Arroyave, Nicolas David Gomez, Camilo Andres Gomez The Basque team arrives with an overwhelming numerical superiority: five men out of eleven. The six Colombians, all without verified history on the platform, represent the main unknown of the eve. This year's results of the favorites Looking through the history of the entered riders, some notable profiles emerge, with recent placings worthy of attention. Xabier Berasategi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) He is the strongest name in the field. On 4 October he finished 2nd at the TOUR DE VENDÉE, a one-day race, and two days later, on 6 October, he placed 6th at Binche - Chimay - Binche / Mémorial Frank Vandenbroucke. During the year he also took a 9th place at Clasica Castilla y Leon, a 5th in a stage of the Tour of Slovenia and a 10th in a stage of the Giro d'Abruzzo. A complete profile, capable of performing both in one-day classics and stage races. Hodei Muñoz (Euskaltel-Euskadi) Very active at the end of the season: on 6 October he was 10th at Binche - Chimay - Binche / Mémorial Frank Vandenbroucke, while in September he had taken a 3rd place in a stage of the Tour of Huangshan and a 5th in another stage of the same race. Also in September, a 6th and a 7th in stages of the Tour of Taihu Lake. His consistency makes him one of the most in-form riders in the group. Gari Ugarte (Euskaltel-Euskadi) Fresh from a 9th place at the Hong Kong Cyclothon on 11 October, a very recent one-day race. Previously he had shone with a 3rd place in a stage of the Vuelta Asturias Julio Alvarez Mendo, a 9th in a stage of the Tour of Huangshan and an 8th in another stage of the same race, plus an 8th in a stage of the ZLM Tour. Good current form. Xabier Isasa (Euskaltel-Euskadi) He has shown fast finishing and the ability to win stages: 1st in a stage of the Volta a Portugal em Bicicleta and 4th in another stage of the same race. Also in stage races, he took a 7th in a stage of the Tour of Huangshan and a 6th in a stage of the Dookoła Mazowsza. His peaks, however, date back to August, so his current condition is less documented. Gotzon Martín (Euskaltel-Euskadi) His most relevant placings are dated May: 4th and 9th in stages of the Grande Prémio Anicolor, with a 9th place in the general classification of the same race. Earlier, a 7th in a stage of the Arctic Race of Norway. Less recent data compared to his teammates. The favorites for victory In light of the documented results, the balance tips clearly towards the Euskaltel-Euskadi colors. Xabier Berasategi — He is the only one in the field with two high-level placings in one-day races in the same period (2nd at the Tour de Vendée and 6th at Binche). The combination of recent results makes him the main reference. Hodei Muñoz — Consistency and current form: a 10th at Binche and a series of stage placings in September. He can exploit the team's numerical superiority. Gari Ugarte — The 9th place at the Hong Kong Cyclothon on 11 October testifies to brilliant condition. He is the third card of a team that can control the race. Behind them, Xabier Isasa and Gotzon Martín complete a high-level quintet, while the six Colombians remain an unknown: without verified history, it is not possible to assess their ambitions, but in a Panamanian race with a strong Colombian presence they should not be underestimated. The Clásica Provincia de Chiriquí promises to be a confrontation between Euskaltel-Euskadi's numerical superiority and the unknown of the Colombian riders, who lack recent references on the platform. The race is held in Panama, but the verified startlist shows a clear prevalence of Basque and Colombian riders: no Panamanian athlete is present among the verified entrants. — source: Pre-race analysis Clásica Provincia de Chiriquí 2026