As it happened: Young talent claims first WorldTour win at stage 1 of Itzulia Basque Country
A 13.9km time trial to open proceedings
Itzulia Basque Country 2026 Preview
Itzulia Basque Country 2026 Route
Race Results
Hello and welcome to stage one of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country!
After the thrills and spills of the Tour of Flanders yesterday, it’s time for something very different before the classics resume with Paris-Roubaix. The World Tour continues, but away from the cobbled bergs of Flanders, and instead inside another of cycling’s heartlands - the Basque Country.
This race is all about climbers and puncheurs, held in terrain with barely a flat stretch of road and steep hills lying around seemingly every corner.
Not today, however - the race will begin with an Individual Time Trial.
The first rider, Georg Zimmermann, will set off in about ten minutes, at 14:20 local time.
Here's the full of start times, with home favourite Mikel Landa last off at 17:23 local time.
As for the biggest names - Primož Roglič is off nice and early, at 14:46, the much-hyped Paul Seixas at 15:29, and top GC contenders Juan Ayuso will be 17:15, and Isaac del Toro 17:17.
The riders are setting off at one minute intervals, until the final 21 riders, between him will be two minutes each.
We won’t have to wait long until a first big name. Ion Izagirre will be the eighth rider to start, a former winner of this race from 2019, and in fine form having only just won the GP Miguel Indurain.
Izagirre is off now!
There are two intermediate points on the route today - the first at the top of the climb, the Alto Santo Domingo, that comes just a few kilometres into the route, and the second just a few kilometres later.
Young Markel Beloki is the early pace-setter at the second check, posting a time of 7:53, 6 seconds quicker than Filippo Fiorelli, and 7 seconds quicker than Iker Mintegi, who's time was quickest at the first check.
It’s a hot day in Bilbao today, with temperatures nearly 30 degrees. There’s no sign the results will be shaped by varying weather conditions, with no threat of rain falling at any point.
Here goes Primož Roglič! The two-time former winner of this race will want a big time today to prove his credentials as a GC contender.
Ion Izagirre is through the first two checks, and isn’t going as fast as expected. He’s only fourth fastest at the second, 10 seconds down on Beloki.
Roglič was one of the men we picked out as the top contenders for overall victory this week. Have a full read of our analysis.
As expected, Roglič is posts a new best time at the first check, a whole 7 seconds faster than Mintegi.
And Roglič has increased his advantage at the second time check, 12 seconds faster than the former leader Beloki.
The big names are starting to come thick and fast already. The in-form Tobias Halland Johannessen has started his ride, as has Irish star Ben Healy.
Johannessen is looking very good - he's just bettered Roglič's time at the first check by one second! Can he keep up this pace?
Johannessen has slowed a little, and is one second down on Roglič at the second check. There's still plenty of road to be run from there until the finish.
Ben Tulett is looking good too, just three seconds off Roglič at the second check. He’s likely to be be Visma-Lease a Bike’s GC leader this week.
Pello Bilbao, who shares a name with the location today, is off on the road. He’s another home favourite but does he still have the legs to compete for overall victory here? Today’s time trial will tell us a lot.
NEW FASTEST TIME - PRIMOZ ROGLIC
Roglič has smashed Izagirre's time! He's a whole 33 seconds quicker at the finish.
Prior to Roglič, Beloki was the only rider to come within 20 seconds of Izagirre’s time. The Slovenian is on a whole other level so far - but how will Johannessen fare?
Johannessen is climbing the final rise to the finish, will he beat Roglič?
No, as he's not even close! He lost a lot of time in the second half of the route and finishes 29 seconds down.
Tulett also can't challenge Roglič's time - he's quicker than Johanessen, but a distant 24 seconds off the Slovenian.
Matthew Riccitello is on a flyer - he's set the new best time at the second check, quicker even than Roglič, albeit it by one one second.
Ben Healy came home 6th fastest, 45 seconds slower than Roglič. That's a hefty chunk already, if he has GC ambitions.
The current leader at the clubhouse, Primož Roglič.
Bilbao is climbing to the finish, and looking like he's finishing strongly.
He has indeed, finishing third fastest, 25 seconds slower than the best time.
Bauke Mollema was quickest at the first time check, but faded all the way down to 20th at the second It seems he must have targetted the KOM points on offer for the fastest time at the first check, and has since knocked off the pace.
Ben Tulett, on his way to the second best time of the day so far.
Riccitello slowed down a lot in the second half of the course, going from quickest at the second check to fifth at the finish, 30 seconds behind Roglič.
A very interesting moment now - Paul Seixas rolls off the ramp! The French sensation appears to include time trialling among the many things he can already do to an elite level, having posted the fourth best time at the Volta ao Algarve stage earlier this year. On a hilly course like this, he might be in contention for the stage victory.
Maxime Decomble is climbing to the finish, but must have crashed at some point as there are a couple of nasty tears in his jersey shorts.
Florian Lipowitz is on the course. How will he compare to his teammate, and potential GC co-leader, Primož Roglič.
Bruno Armirail has just finished very strongly, rising from 10th best at the 2nd check to 2nd best at the finish. But he's still 22 seconds down on Roglič.
Seixas is quickest at the first time check!
Lipowitz is also through that first check with a good time, the fifth fastest.
Wow! Seixas is on a monster rise. He's just smashed the previous best time of Riccitello by a whole 14 seconds.
That lead has been reduced to 12 seconds by Lipowitz, who has just gone through the second check, but that's still a huge lead for the young Frenchman. The question now is whether he can keep this up for the second half of the course.
With its long descent and nasty steep finish, this is a hard course to pace yourself for, especially for an inexperienced rider like Seixas. You need to have a lot left in the tank to speed up the final steep gradients.
Alex Baudin has just set the 5th best time at the finish.
Armirail, on his way to posting what remains the second fastest time at the finish.
Antoni Tiberi has just finished, and is way down in 17th. It seems he doesn’t have the form to compete for the overall victory.
A very good time for Javier Romo, who is second best at the finish. He's another one who finished very strongly, actually completing the final part quicker than Roglič.
Here comes Seixas on the final climb - and he's on course to smash the best time!
NEW FASTEST TIME - PAUL SEIXAS
What an extraorindary ride by Paul Seixas - he's just beaten by Roglič's time by an enormous 28 seconds!
Now Florian Lipowitz finishes. That's also a great ride, enough for third, but it pales in comparison to Seixas', which was a whole 33 seconds faster.
Next Mattias Skjelmose finishes, with the fourth best time, 45 seconds off Seixas. He could give Lidl a second GC option, along with their main leader Juan Ayuso.
A very good ride by Michael Leonard sees him set the fifth best time at the finish.
This has been a front-loaded time trial, with many of the big names having set off already. There’s a little while before the next major contenders get going, but we still have Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso to come. Paul Seixas’s is a very strong-looking time, but he doesn’t have the victory sealed yet.
Julian Alaphilippe is off. As ever we can anticipate an animated race by the Frenchman, though more likely in the road stages rather than today.
Paul Seixas, the leader in the clubhouse.
If Seixas is to win today, it’d be only the third of his career, and a first at World Tour level. The Frenchman is improving at such a rapid rate there’s no telling what he might do this week in the Basque Country.
Whatever else happens today, Primož Roglič’s remarkable record of having won the time trial stage in all five of the Itzulia Basque Country editions he has competed in during his career has come to an end. The Slovenian still looks strong, but couldn’t compete with the teenager today, in what feels like a passing-of-the-baton moment.
For the first time in a while there’s a rider on the road threatening the best times. Felix Großschartner has gone through the second check with the second best time, slower only than Seixas.
Großschartner is riding primarily as a domestique for UAE teammate Juan Ayuso, but can ride a good time trial on his day - as he's showing today.
Here are some of the riders coming up later today to look out for start times included (local time):
Kévin Vauquelin 16:47
Juan Ayuo 17:15
Isaac del Toro 17:17
Mikel Landa 17:23
While we wait for them to start riding, now would be a good time to digest everything that happened at yesterday’s two Tour of Flanders races. Here’s Sean Kelly’s column on Tadej Pogačar’s latest exhibition.
Demi Vollering was a less predictable winner of the women’s race, and her tears upon sealing what was a first ever Tour of Flanders title spoke volumes about what it meant to her.
Here comes Felix Großschartner towards the finish, and he hasn't slowed down! This is going to be a very good time.
Second best time for Großschartner. What a ride! Few would have predicted this.
To put that into perspective, Großschartner has just become only the second man in the history of Itzulia Basque Country to defeat Primož Roglič in a time trial.
This climb at the finish is taking its toll on riders who don’t pace themselves up it. A Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe had to lie down for some time upon reaching the top, while a team helper sprayed water on him.
Another big time, this time by Ilan Van Wilder. He’s fourth fastest, 29 seconds down!
Van Wilder is a very good time trialist, but that’s still another surprise, albeit not quite so much as Großschartner’s time. Could it be that the wind has changed to a more favourable direction?
If it has, then Brandon McNulty could be about to benefit. The American has just started his ride.
The good times at the finish keep coming - AJ August is the latest, posting the sixth best.
That ride from August would certainly suggest that the wind may well indeed have changed.
McNulty is looking good, but will have to speed up if he's to challenge for the stage win. He's fourth at the second time check, a second slower than his UAE teammate Großschartner.
Seixas at the finish, setting what remains the best time.
Another big name now is poised at the start - Kévin Vauquelin. The Itzulia Basque Country as a whole is a stage race that should really suit him.
Felix Großschartner, setting the second fastest time.
Vauquelin is through the first time check 5th, five seconds slower than Seixas.
McNulty is on the climb, but Seixas s time has alerady gone. That's another rival seen off by the French teenager.
McNulty finishes with the seventh best time. He faded in the second half.
Vauquelin is through the second check with the third best time, the same as Großschartner. He's in the running for a podium finish at this rate.
Vauquelin is on the climb, and is looking good for a podium finish.
Second place for Vauquelin! That's good enough for a podium finish for now.
As impressive as that was from Vauquelin, it’s still a whole 23 seconds slower than Seixas. Even if conditions are more favourable than earlier, it’s going to be difficult even for Ayuso or Del Toro to beat the Frenchman’s time.
Just five minutes or so until Juan Ayuso starts his ride. He beat Seixas at the Volta ao Algarve time trial - can he do so again today?
Off goes Juan Ayuso! He's got his game face on and sprints off the start ramp.
And now Isaac del Toro sets off! So far in his career time trialling has been one of the few areas he hasn’t fully excelled at, but will enjoy the hills in this one.
Ayuso and Del Toro are taking on this first climb with different styles, Ayuso sat in the saddle, Del Toro bouncing out of it.
Ayuso is getting out of the saddle a few times to generate more power as he nears the top.
Ayuso reaches the first check at the top...and he's a long way down! He's lost 24 seconds to Seixas already, with 38 riders quicker than him.
Ayuso did overcook one corner a little, having to adjust his line, but that's not enough to explain such a big time loss already.
Del Toro is through the first check, and is also off the pace! He's 20th fastest at 14 seconds.
This is all looking very good for Paul Seixas's hopes of sealing the stage win.
The last man of the day, Mikel Landa, has set off. All the riders are either out on the road or finished already.
Meanwhile at the finish, potential GC contender Cian Uijtdebroeks is well down, losing 1:26 as the 46th fastest rider.
Del Toro and Ayuso are through the second check, and have a lot of ground to make up. The former is 21 seconds down, the latter 32 seconds.
Ayuso is having problems on the descent. He’s not holding back, but has misjudged another corner, having to correct his line once again.
Mikel Landa has made a good start, posting the 8th best time at the first check. Can he keep that up though now he's not climbing?
Landa's keeping it up for now, remaining 8th best at the second check.
Ayuso is nearing the final climb. He'll have some ground to make up after that slow start and problems on the descent.
Ayuso is on the climb now, but is a long way off the best times.
Ayuso finishes, well down in 35th at 1:16 . That could already be fatal for his GC chances.
Now we wait for Del Toro.
Del Toro's climbing...and he's outside of Seixas's time already. That will surely be victory for the Frenchman!
13th for Del Toro, at 51 seconds. That's not bad for the Mexican, but he would not have wanted to lose quite so much time to his teenage GC rival.
Only three riders are left to finish, and none of them are going to threaten Seixas' time.
Harold Tejada is the penultimate rider to finish, and he's done a decent time, finishing 17th. That'll keep him up there in GC contention come the hilly road stages later in the week.
And finally here comes Mikel Landa, being cheered up the climb by his Basque home fans.
It's a good ride, somewhere just outside the top ten.
That was an enormous victory for Paul Seixas. The distance of 23 seconds between himself and Kévin Vauquelin in second place was as big as that between Vauquelin and the man in tenth place.
Seixas has laid down some marker with that result today. The pressure will now be on the Decathlon team to defend his overall lead from now until the finish.
Can Kévin Vauquelin challenge him? He’s the best poised on GC after this time trial, and is clearly in great form himself, and would have won this stage by four seconds were it not for Seixas.
Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe have both the numbers and the quality to challenge for GC. They end today with Roglič in fourth overall at 28 seconds and Lipowitz in sixth overall at 33 seconds. If they work together, they can give Seixas and Decathlon serious headaches.
The view in Bilbao, featuring the famous Guggenheim museum.
Not so well placed is Isaac Del Toro, who has a lot of ground to make up already, having lost 51 seconds.
In fact, he has two UAE teammates ahead of him on GC in Brandon McNulty and the impressive Felix Großschartner, though once in his favoured terrain of road stages we can expect the Mexican to assert his authority and start going on the attack to try and claw back the time.
What next for Juan Ayuso? 38th was well lower than he’d usually expect on a time trial like this, and 1:16 is an awful lot of time to make up in a week-long stage race. It may be that he has not fully recovered from the crash that forced him to abandon Paris-Nice last month.
Seixas, on his way to the biggest win of his career so far.
Thanks for joining us today, on a stage that will surely be remembered as one of the big breakthroughs in the blossoming career of Paul Seixas. He continues to not just live up to the hype, but exceed it, and proved himself to be a very accomplished time trialist, on top of everything else.
Now, he’ll turn his attention towards defending the yellow jersey, starting with tomorrow’s hilly stage, which features a category one climb towards the end where he could be put under pressure. We’ll have live coverage from start to finish, so be sure to log in again for all the action.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
