Bilbao joined Caja Rural–Seguros RGA for the 2014 season, after his previous team – Euskaltel–Euskadi – folded at the end of the 2013 season.[3] In 2015, Bilbao won the sixth stage of the Tour of Turkey, concluding his effort atop a steep climb.[7]
Astana (2017–2019)
He was named in the start list for the 2017 Giro d'Italia.[8] He finished 10th overall in the Tour de Suisse, which was his first top 10 in a general classification in a major stage race.
In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the Tour de France.[9]
Bahrain–McLaren (2020–present)
In October 2019, it was announced that Bilbao was to join Bahrain–Merida, later renamed as Bahrain–McLaren, for the 2020 season.[5] He finished sixteenth at the 2020 Tour de France, before recording his best Grand Tour result to that point, placing fifth overall at the 2020 Giro d'Italia. He entered the 2021 Giro d'Italia as a domestique – initially for team leader Mikel Landa,[10] before Landa had to withdraw from the race after a crash on the fifth stage.[11]Damiano Caruso then took over as team leader, and following teamwork by Bilbao, won the penultimate stage of the race on his way to second overall; Bilbao ultimately finished 13th overall.[12][13]
Bilbao finished on the overall podium at the 2022 UAE Tour, taking a third-place stage finish at Jebel Hafeet on the final day.[14] At the Tour of the Basque Country, Bilbao won a small group sprint on the third stage into Amurrio; he ultimately finished the race in fifth overall.[15][16] His next start was at the Tour of the Alps, where he again won a small group sprint, winning the second stage into Lana.[17] Having finished second on the first stage,[18] Bilbao assumed the race lead – which he would hold until the final day, when he lost forty seconds to three riders, who ultimately moved ahead of him in the general classification.[19] At the Giro d'Italia, Bilbao finished in third place on the opening stage in Hungary,[20] behind Mathieu van der Poel and Biniam Girmay. Bilbao held a top-ten position in the general classification for the duration of the race, ultimately finishing fifth overall,[21] for the second time in three editions.
Bilbao took an early season win on stage three of the 2023 Tour Down Under, going on to finish third overall.[22] In July he won his first Tour de France stage on stage 10 from the breakaway.[23]
^ a b"Astana – Pro Team". Archived from the original on 21 June 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
^"Basque Country's Euskaltel present UCI World Tour team". EITB. EiTB Group. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013. The Basque backbone remains with Samuel Sanchez, Igor Anton, Ion Izagirre, Mikel Landa, Gorka Izagirre, Pello Bilbao, Mikel Astarloza and Mikel Nieve.[permanent dead link]
^ a b"Caja Rural-Seguros RGA ficha a Pello Bilbao y Lluís Más" [Caja Rural-Seguros RGA sign Pello Bilbao and Lluís Más]. Marca.com (in Spanish). Unidad Editorial. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
^"Astana Pro Team presented renewed roster for 2019". Astana. Apgrade. 16 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
^ a b"Bahrain-Merida announce six new signings, including Pello Bilbao, Eros Capecchi and Marco Haller". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
^"Bahrain Victorious". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
^"Tour of Turkey: Bilbao wins stage 6 in Selçuk". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
^"2017: 100th Giro d'Italia: Start List". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
^"2019: 106th Tour de France: Start List". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
^Fletcher, Patrick (3 May 2021). "Bahrain Victorious 'all-in' for Mikel Landa at Giro d'Italia". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Bonville-Ginn, Tim (12 May 2021). "Mikel Landa crashes out of the Giro d'Italia 2021". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Puddicombe, Stephen (30 May 2021). "Egan Bernal seals Giro d'Italia victory". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^"Bilbao Claims Podium on UAE Tour". Team Bahrain Victorious. Bahrain World Tour Cycling Team. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Ostanek, Daniel (6 April 2022). "Itzulia Basque Country: Pello Bilbao wins hilly stage 3". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Fletcher, Patrick (9 April 2022). "Daniel Martínez wins Itzulia Basque Country". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Frattini, Kirsten (19 April 2022). "Tour of the Alps: Pello Bilbao wins stage 2". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Farrand, Stephen (18 April 2022). "Bilbao shows early ambitions at Tour of the Alps". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Ryan, Barry (22 April 2022). "Tour of the Alps: Pinot surges to stage 5 win as Bardet grabs overall title". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^"Pello Bilbao Third On Giro d'Italia Opener". Team Bahrain Victorious. Bahrain World Tour Cycling Team. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Becket, Adam (30 May 2022). "Giro d'Italia 2022 standings: Final results from the 105th edition after stage 21". Cycling Weekly. Future plc. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
^Giuliani, Simone; Beard, Clara (20 January 2023). "Pello Bilbao wins Tour Down Under stage 3". CyclingNews. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
^Weislo, Laura (11 July 2023). "Tour de France: Pello Bilbao scorches sprint from breakaway to win stage 10". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pello Bilbao.