Pello Bilbao

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]

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.

Bilbao finished 7th overall at the 2018 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. Months later he finished 8th overall at the Tour of the Basque Country. He won stage 1 of the Tour of the Alps, therefore riding stage 2 in the leader's jersey. He continued his great form at the Giro d'Italia, supporting Miguel Ángel López, and finishing 6th overall. Weeks later Bilbao won stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné, which was his first World Tour victory.

Bilbao at the 2021 Giro d'Italia

In July 2019, he was named in the startlist for the Tour de France.[9]

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 at the 2023 Tour de France

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.