As it happened: Victory sealed by early attack on selective stage 2 of Itzulia Basque Country
A 164km hilly stage featuring a decisive late 9.5km climb
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Itzulia Basque Country 2026 Route
Race Results
Hello and welcome to stage two of Itzulia Basque Country!
This second stage of Itzulia Basque Country is no simple transition to ease the riders back into road racing following yesterday’s time trial opener. Instead, this is a tough day in the Basque hills, featuring a category one climb towards the finish that will draw the GC contenders out into a fight.
The final climb will be San Miguel de Aralar, crested just under 20km from the finish. It’s new to Itzulia Basque Country, but did feature at the Vuelta a España in 2020, when Marc Soler attacked out of a small group of favourites on the descent to solo to victory.
Averaging 7.8% for 9.4km, the San Miguel de Aralar is certainly hard enough to cause time gaps, even if there is some distance between its summit to the finish at Lekunberri.
There will, therefore, be no time for Paul Seixas to enjoy a simple day on his first day wearing the overall leader’s jersey. As impressive as he was in yesterday’s time trial, this will be a new test for him as he learns more and more about racing at World Tour level.
To catch up with everything that happened during yesterday’s stage, have a read of our full race report.
The riders are moving through the neutralised section in Pamplona. Not long before they’ll see the flag.
Paul Seixas in the yellow jersey this morning before the start.
Four riders have attacked already, but all brought back.
The stage begins with a few kilometres of flat, but very soon they’ll be climbing, up the category two Alto de Etxauri (6.6km at 6.6%). That will shape the kind of riders who will be able to get into the break today - put simply, they have to be good at climbing.
Four new riders have attacked - Hayter, Van den Broeck, Mintegi and Bou.
Adrián Fajardo is chasing that quartet trying to join them.
As they start the climb, the leading four have built a big lead already, of almost a minute. Unless more riders want to use the climb to get into the break, this could be the day’s break formed.
The break is growing its lead on the climb, up to 1:20. Fajardo is still chasing behind, with 10 seconds to make up.
Fajardo has made the junction. With the peloton seemingly happy about the personnel in this group, they're not having to ride this climb too hard.
The riders making their way through the streets of Pamplona at the start, more famous for bulls roaming through it than hoards of cyclists.
This isn’t done yet. Two riders have jumped out of the peloton hoping to catch up to the leaders, and they’re a strong pair - Bruno Armirail and Raúl García Pierna.
The peloton appear less happy to let this pair go. They've upped the pace and are keeping them at just five seconds.
As a result, the leading five's advantage has been reduced too, down from about 1:30 to 50 seconds.
The time gap between the peloton and the leaders is now being reported at a much bigger distant, to over two minutes. That suggests the peloton is happy to let both the leaders and the chasers get up the road.
At last, Armirail and García Pierna have made the juncture on the descent. We have a new leading group of seven.
It’s another warm, sunny day in the Basque Country, with no threat of any rain.
Incidentally, Joan Bou was the first rider to the summit of the Alto de Etxauri, meaning he leads the virtual mountains classification with 6 points. Mintegi took 4 points by being second, and Fajardo 2 points in third.
Here are the updated virtual KOM rankings. Bou takes over the lead from Seixas, who had led by setting the fastest time at the top of the climb during yesterday's time trial:
2 Mintegi 4 points
3 Seixas 3 points
4 Fajardo 2 points
5 Mollema 2 points
Paul Seixas in yellow, safely in the peloton.
The kind of terrain they’re taking on at the moment is typical of the Basque Country. It’s not a classified climb, but the road has been going up for almost 10km, and will continue doing so, with varying gradients, for about another 10km.
Decathlon have taken on the responsibility of leading the peloton, for their leader in the yellow jersey. It's a rare position the team find themselves in, but one that will likely become more common the longer they retain the services of Paul Seixas.
The gradient kicks up now for the final 4km to the summit, from the false flat they have been riding up to 5%.
Even Paul Seixas himself sounded a little taken aback by how good his performance at yesterday’s time trial was. He’s now the frontrunner for overall victory, but doesn’t want to overhype his chances, describing himself merely as “being in the running” for the title.
The riders are at last over the climb and now get to enjoy a lengthy descent, before a flat run-in to the next climb.
This is a strong breakaway the peloton has allowed to go clear, with Bruno Armirail in particular standing out.
He’s the current virtual yellow jersey, as the highest man in the group on GC (at 50 seconds). Though not at his best in yesterday’s time trial, he’s a master escape artist, and possesses the kind of unfatigable engine that requires a very big effort to bring him back.
Armirail’s presence in the break also suggests that his Visma-Lease a Bike team are targeting stage wins rather than the GC. Though they have Ben Tulett well-placed in fourteenth on the overall rankings following yesterday’s time trial, they haven’t brought any of their big stage race guns to the Basque Country.
But it’s still a strong line- up, epitomised by Armirail, and will make them dangerous prospects on days like this in the hunt for stage wins.
Ethan Hayter is another man who, like Armirail, is trying again after delivering a time trial short of his best. His form has been erratic for the past few years, but by getting into the break today he’s shown he has the appetite to ride for a stage win.
Frank van den Broek is another rider in the break who could be hard to bring back - as anyone who remembers the opening stage of the 2024 Tour de France will attest to.
Today is one of many that Raúl García Pierna has ventured out into the break on already this year, having already done so at Paris-Nice and Volta Comunitat Valenciana, to name a few. He managed to take a stage in the latter, too, and is on paper one of the strongest riders in the group.
90KM TO GO
The gap's grown again, to 1:55. They’re nearing the end of this flat section, and will be climbing again soon.
The upcoming climb is the Alto de Zuarrarrate - a long one, at 7.3km, but not especially steep, averaging a pretty steady 4.7%.
One rider whose performance will be of particular interest today will be Juan Ayuso’s. Was his problems in the time trial yesterday a mere bad day, or does he lack his top form and fitness? The Spaniard has said that he intends to keep fighting for GC, and hopes to improve as the race goes on.
Still it's Decathlon CMA CGM who lead the peloton.
The break are on the Alto de Zuarrarrate, and Farjado has been dropped.
80KM TO GO
Decathlon’s pace on this climb is bringing the break’s lead down. It’s at 1:20, the lowest it’s been since shortly after it initially formed.
Fajardo has dropped back into the peloton.
There’s a crash in the peloton as they near the top. Two riders went down, both of them Groupama riders.
The updated KOM rankings, after Bou, Mintegi and Van den Broeck took the points:
2 Mintegi 6
3 Seixas 3
4 Farjado 2
5 Mollema 2
Enzo Paleni and Rémy Rochas were the two Groupama riders involved in the crash earlier.
The road narrows as they swing onto the steep final slopes to the summit of Aldatz. This one's a category three, so has less points on offer, but these final gradients are tough.
The road surface here is also pretty rough, adding to the difficulty, but we're still too far out for any of the GC contenders to light things up in the peloton.
A nice gesture from Hayter in the break, who hands his bidon to a child watching on the roadside.
The GC teams in the peloton are making sure to stay right at the front on this narrow climb. The likes of UAE and Ineos are now riding up there with Decathlon.
The peloton has also crested the climb, just 45 seconds after the break. The jostling for position by the GC teams increased the pace significantly, reflected by the reduction of the gap.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG are the team leading the peloton on the descent. There was news in their camp today, as it was announced that Brandon McNulty has signed a contract extension with the team.
Things have calmed down again in the peloton, and Decathlon has resumed control.
The updated KOM rankings, with just one climb left today:
2 Mintegi 6
3 Seixas 3
4 Armirail 2
5 Fajardo 2
6 Mollema 2
The seven riders in the break today.
Crash in the peloton - 3 Ineos riders involved, and 2 Tudor riders.
It appears that everyone is up and running again. Lucas Hamilton was the worst off, but is also riding his way back to the peloton.
Ineos' leader Vauquelin was held up a little, but didn't go down, and was unaffected.
There are about 20km until the foot of the final climb. The pace in the peloton is likely to increase the closer they get to it, as the battle for position ignites.
The break's lead isn't getting much bigger. It's holding at around 1:30.
Axel Laurance was the other Ineos rider to go down in the crash, though he and Hamilton are back in the peloton now.
There are some bonus seconds available, and Hayter has attacked out of the break in pursuit of them.
Hayter has taken the seconds, and dropped back into the break.
Hayter is talking to his team car, and seems to have some kind of problem with his bike. He's riding on for now.
We're nearing crunch time. They'll be climbing in less than 10km, and the race for position in the peloton is on.
Which riders do we need to look out for? The likes of Kévin Vauquelin, Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz are the most immediate threats to Paul Seixas on GC, but Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso should enjoy such a tough climb too.
The pace is up in the peloton, and the gap is consequently coming down. They now have little more than a minute.
Here we go! The break swings on to the San Miguel de Aralar, and will spend the next 9.4km climbing at 7.8%.
And now here comes the peloton onto the climb, the pace back up again.
Lidl lead the peloton onto the climb, led by Simmons.
Now Decathlon take over again, with a long line.
Well, it's not exactly a long line - Paul Seixas has two riders pacing him.
Back in the break, Bou and García Pierna have attacked out from the break.
Mintegi was dropped out the break, and is taken back by the peloton.
Still it's Decathlon who lead, and have the peloton all spread out, with some being dropped towards the back, including Alaphilippe.
Hayter and Van den Broeck have joined the leading duo, but not Armirail.
The gradient steepens, and García Pierna ups the pace in the break.
Nobody is following him.
Lipowitz is leading the chase behind, aleady about ten seconds behind.
Seixas has caught and passed Van den Broeck, and is bearing down on the rest.
Seixas has caught them, and now leads the race, with 25.5km left to ride.
Bou tried to hang on to his wheel, but Seixas is now clear by himself.
Back in the chase group, Ayuso is struggling, and has been droped out of it.
Lipowitz has set off in pursuit of the yellow jersey by himself, but is 15 seconds adrift already.
The peloton behind Lipowitz only has about 12 riders left in it.
Included in that group of 12 are Del Toro, Tulett, Skjelmose, Uijtdebroeks, and those who were in the day's break still.
Lipowitz has been caught by that chase group, which is 20 seconds behind now.
Del Toro ups the pace in the chase, taking Tulett, Lipowitz, Uijtdebroeks and Izagirre with him.
They've been joined by more riders, including Primož Roglič.
There are nine riders in the chase - Roglič, Lipowitz, Del Toro, Tulett, Baudin, Skjelmose, Uijtdebroeks, Izagirre and Champoussin
Seixas is riding away from them all though - he's grown his lead to 45 seconds.
Del Toro is leading the chase group, and is keeping the gap at 45 seconds.
Cohesion has broken down though, as the Red Bull riders try attacking.
Lipowitz led for a little while, but now Del Toro takes over again.
Tejada has joined the chasers from behind, and Landa is nearing them.
1.5km from the top for Seixas, his lead at 45 seconds.
Del Toro ups the pace on a steeper section, and has a small gap.
Lipowitz has clawed up to his wheel.
As has Uijtdebroeks.
Now Izagirre aand Roglic join them.
Attack from Lipowitz, and this time he's gone clear!
Behind, Lipowitz is caught by the chase group just as he summit the climb.
Lipowitz, Uijtdebroeks, Baudin, Skjelmose and Izagirre crested the climb a little ahead of the other chasers.
15km to go, Seixas is retaining his lead of 50 seconds on the descent.
The descent is more shallow than the ascent up, and isn't especially technical.
The five riders behind aren't working well together.
Juan Ayuso is much further behind, in a group two minutes behind the leader.
Landa has crashed on the descent, and it looks like a heavy one.
Still the five chasers are looking at each other, rather than committing to the chase.
Lipowitz and Skjelmose are playing mind games, dropping right to the back of the group and even letting a small gap open up between themselves and the other three.
If the chase group aren't careful, they could be seeing their chances for overall victory disappearing out of reach ahead of them.
Skjelmose is taking turns at the front, but Lipowitz sat at the back. He must be citing Roglič's presence in the group behind as reason for not cooperating.
One rider missing from this chase group is the man who was second overall, Vauquelin.
5km to go for Seixas, and his lead is up some more, to 1:10.
Seixas swings onto the final 4km uphill to the finish, his lead at 1:15.
Seixas had to move around a spectator who was on the road as he started the climb. It was unclear what had happened to him.
Lipowitz is working at the front again as the chase begin the climb.
2km to go for Seixas, his lead up to 1:20. The stage victory is surely his.
The Del Toro / Roglič group has the main chase group in sight now. Could they come back together?
Astana have three riders in the third group, Champoussin, Higuita and Tejada, along with Roglic, Del Toro and Tulett. They're trying to bring back the second group.
Seixas is being cheered up the final steep kilometres by the Basque fans on the roadside.
The second group is 10 seconds ahead of the third group.
Uijtdebroeks is attacking in an attempt to go clear from the second group.
But the stage win will be Seixas', who is nearing the finish now.
The third group has joined the second, and it looks like it's ging to be a big sprint for second-place.
Skjelmose wins the sprint for second, in a group of seven that reached the top together.
Roglič took third in the sprint.
Del Toro was missing from that main chase group that reached the line together, failing to keep up with the pace as they sprinted to the top.
So that’s two days and two wins for Paul Seixas at the Itzulia Basque Country. Right now he looks at an entire different level than the rest of the field - which is quite something to say of a nineteen-year-old.
This was the moment on the climb when Seixas first broke away from the peloton.
Seixas then spent the rest of the stage soloing to victory
The result means that Seixas has a huge lead already on GC, just one second shy of Primož Roglič in second.
Behind Seixas, it’s all change in the GC. Vauquelin and Großschartner tumble out of contention, while Roglič, Lipowitz, Skjelmose and Tulett climb up to second, third, fourth and fifth respectively. Every other rider is over 2:30 adrift of the yellow jersey.
Mikel Landa has just reached the finish. It looked like he might abandon after his heavy fall on the descent, but he managed to pick himself up and reach the finish. Chapeau.
Seixas is looking sublime, but he’s helped by the fact that the men expected to be his main rivals are lacking the best form. Del Toro is now 2:44 down in eighth overall, while Juan Ayuso has shipped a whole 3:55 in 16th.
Relive the action today with our report of how the stage went down.
Thanks for joining us today! This Itzulia Basque Country is threatening to turn into the Paul Seixas show, but tomorrow might see him hold back and go into defensive mode on what is a relatively easier day.
That could bring the punchy sprinters into contention for the stage win, but there’s also a chance for the breakaway to succeed. It’s a well-balanced stage, which looks set to be an exciting one - see you again tomorrow, when we’ll again be providing you live coverage start to finish.
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