As it happened: Stage win goes to the breakaway and yellow jersey put under pressure on rainy final stage 6 of Itzulia Basque Country
The grand finale features six big climbs and another 3,000 metres of elevation
Itzulia Basque Country 2026 Preview
Itzulia Basque Country 2026 Route
Race Results
Hello and welcome to the sixth and final stage of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country!
It’s time for the final stage of Itzulia Basque Country and the question is the same as it has been for most days at this race - can anybody stop Paul Seixas? The teenage sensation has won three of the five stages so far, and has what feels like an assailable lead on the GC.
Florian Lipowitz nearly managed to get the better of Seixas yesterday, sticking to his wheel throughout the stage, but came out second best in the final sprint between the two.
There are a handful of riders who won't be starting today - most notably Ben Tulett. The Brit had been 6th overall on GC, before being dropped early yesterday to slide down to 16th.
Also missing from the start having pulled out are Julian Alaphilippe, Enzo Paleni and Gotzon Martin.
The riders will be racing soon - they're just making their way through the neutralised zone towards the official start.
As forecasted, the temperature has dipped from the highs of the week so far, but there’s no rain - at least not yet. Should the heavens open, this could become a complicated stage, what with all the descending as well as ascending.
A major announcement was made during sign-in today - Pello Bilbao will retire at the end of the season. The 36-year-old has been one of the best Basque riders of his generation, winning stages at and finishing in the top 6 at both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.
We'll bring you more on that Bilbao news later.
The climbing has begun pretty much straight away, with the riders already taking on the first of the day’s 6 categorised ascents: the 4.6km, 7.6% Alto de Asentzio.
Jardi Christiaan van der Lee has attacked on the climb. The Dutchman has ridden aggressively throughout this week.
He's been brought back, and the peloton is all together.
Van der Lee on the attack.
As feared, the weather has taken a turn for the worse, and it's started raining.
Three riders have gone clear from the bunch, and it's a strong trio - Soler, Healy, and Skjelmose.
Soler and Healy are reuniting having attacked together yesterday. It’s no surprise to see two riders with such an insatiable appetite for attacking get up the road again today.
The weather really has turned nasty today. This could make for a complicated final stage - and a new test for Paul Seixas, should his GC rivals want to put him under pressure in these conditions.
The three leaders crested the first climb together ahead of the bunch, with Skjelmose taking the 3 points, Healy 2 points and Soler 1 point. Each of these riders do have some points in the KOM classification, but are some way down from the leader Paul Seixas.
2 Bou 22
3 Anders Johannessen 19
4 Lipowitz 18
5 Soler 15
Bagioli has abandoned the race. In these conditions, there's bound to be a high drop put rate, as riders protect their health and fitness.
The peloton has split as they ascend this climb.
Juan Pedro López attacks out the peloton.
Here's more on the news today that Pello Bilbao has announced his retirement from racing.
Peter Øxenberg has joined López in the chase.
Uno-X Mobility are leading the chase in the peloton. They don't have a GC man, so are doing so to try to form a new break with their riders represented in it.
The three rides leading the race.
The pace set by Uno-X Mobility on the climb has seen the peloton significantly reduced in size already.
The group being led by Uno-X Mobility isn’t the peloton, but rather a very large chasing group. Paul Seixas and his main GC rivals are in the peloton, further behind.
There are about 30 riders in this chase group led by Uno-X Mobility. The highest ranked rider on GC appears to be Tobias Halland Johannessen at 5:39.
Juan Pedro López and Peter Øxenberg have joined the three leaders on the descent.
In the chase group, Uno-X Moblity is the best represented team with five riders, though Visma-Lease a Bike have four (including Armirail), while Alpecin-Premier Tech and Caja Rural - Seguros RGA have three each.
Other stand out names present in it include Igor Arrieta, Matthew Riccitello, Guillaume Martin and Raúl García Pierna.
Uno-X Moblity leading the chase group.
Riders have varying degrees of confidence descending in these conditions. In the break, López took it cautiously, and has only just rejoined the other leads now the road has flattened out.
The riders are climbing again, up the 3km, 7.1% Alto de Azkarate.
The lead group has broken up on this climb - López, Healy and Skjelmose are clear of ther other two.
Soler and Øxenberg have dragged their way back to them.
Here is the chase group in full:
Tobias Halland Johannessen, Andreas Kron, Torstein Træen, Martin Tjøtta, Johannes Kulset (all Uno-X Mobility), Bruno Armirail, Tim Rex, Menno Huising, Filippo Fiorelli (all Visma-Lease a Bike), Igor Arrieta, Felix Großschartner, Domen Novak (all UAE Team Emirates XRG), Gal Gilvar, Emiel Verstrynge, Ramses Debruyne (all Alpecin-Premier Tech), Jan Castellon, Fernando Barceló, Alex Molenaar (all Caja Rural - Seguros RGA), Guillaume Martin, Clément Braz Afonso (both Groupama-FDJ United), Raúl García Pierna, Natnael Tesfatsion (both Movistar), Markel Beloki, Michael Leonard (both EF Education-EasyPost), Steff Crass (Soudal-QuickStep), Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers), Oliver Stockwell (Bahrain Victorious), Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM), Frank van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL), Andrea Bagioli (Lidl-Trek), Simone Velasco (XDS Astana) and José Manuel Díaz (Burgos Burpellet BH).
The riders are taking on a long flat section before the start of the day's third climb, coming up in about 10km.
Tomorrow, all the attention in the cycling world will turn to France for one of the occasions of the season: Paris-Roubaix. As always, anticipation has reached fever pitch - be sure to have a read of our analysis to get in the mood.
The weather remains foul out there, with many layers being worn by all.
The leading 5 have started climbing again, up the 6.9km, 7.5% Alto de Elosua.
The chase group are right behind them now, at just 20 seconds.
Skjelmose attacks! He's got a small gap ahead of the rest of the lead group.
Healy and Soler have managed to follow him, but not the other two.
This increase in pace has helped their gap to the chase grow again, to 35 seconds.
Now Soler attacks!
He doesn't go clear, and Skjelmose takes to the front to ride tempo.
Skjelmose has been dropped, as Healy presses on.
Soler has managed to stick to Healy's wheel.
Attack from Javier Romo in the peloton.
Romo looked very strong yesterday, but remains far down on GC in 10th at 5:05. He might spy an oppertunity to climb higher today.
Back at the front, Skjelmose has re-joined the leading duo.
Romo has attacked, but will either of the Red Bull duo of Lipowitz and Roglič follow suit? They're the best-placed on GC to challenge Seixas, in second and third respectively, but have a lot of ground to make up: 2:30 and 3:40 to be specific.
They haven’t had any joy in taking on the Frenchman yet, but might today be different in the wet conditions?
Lipowitz has indeed attacked! But Seixas is on his wheel.
The peloton is very small now, and attacks keep being made. Vauquelin is the latest to have a go.
Four riders have gone wirh Vauquelin - Seixas, Lipowitz, Izagirre and an Astana rider, possibly Tejada.
Those five riders have caught Romo.
Seixas has moved to the front of this group and is setting the pace.
That was a viscious, out-the-saddle-acceleration, and Seixas has gapped them all.
Seixas has a big gap over the others! And he's also got a teammate in Riccitello up the road. He'll presumably wait up for him soon.
Seixas is on a mission. He's already brough the gap between himself and the big chase group to 1:45, and 3:15 to the leaders.
Riccitello has indeed dropped back from the break and is pacing the yellow jersey. This might always have been the plan from Decathlon.
As strong as Seixas is, he will likely need Riccitello for this move, as he still has over 50km to ride until the finish.
Scratch that - it's not Riccitello who is with Seixas, but a Caja Rural rider who was dropped from the break. The Frenchman is having to do all the work himself for now.
Seixas will be fine on his own on this descent, and on the upcoming climb. It's the vally road of about 20km leading to the final climb where he will need help.
The three leaders, ploughing on in the rain.
It appears there is a chase group of about 10 behind Seixas , that is about 30 seconds adrift. It features Lipowitz and Izagirre, but not Roglič, who we think is in the peloton about a minute and a half adrift.
Paul Seixas has collected more riders dropped from the break ahead, and is motoring along with them on his wheel.
He has four riders with him in total, but they might be able to last much longer on this climb.
One big development today is that Tobias Halland Johannessen is rocketing up the GC ranking as a result of getting into the break. As things stand, he’s up to third in the virtual GC.
Paul Seixas on the attack.
Seixas has dropped the riders who were with him, and has now caught up to Crass who is clinging on to his wheel.
Amid all the action, still it's Soler, Healy and Skjelmose who lead the race, with just one climb left to complete. Will one of them take the stage win today, or will the catch yet be made?
The riders have begun the long, draggy gradual uphill to the foot of the final climb. On these roads, those in groups with strength in numbers should be at an advantage - which could play against Seixas.
The Johannessen group is getting nearer to the three chasers, now just 25 seconds behind.
Soler has been dropped by Healy and Skjelmose.
Soler has been caught by the Johannessen group, which has about 15 riders in it.
Riccitello still hasn't been sent back to help pace Seixas, who's being left to do all the work himself. He's not making any inroads in the riders ahead of him.
The rains started to fall even heavier.
The riders are getting absolutely soaked out there.
This has been a great ploy by Uno-X Mobility today. Johannessen even has second-place in sight, with Lipowitz's place there now under pressure.
Johannessen is also gaining time on Seixas, now over two minutes ahead. The Frenchman's advantage over him of 5:39 should be safe, but he can't afford to go into the red.
Seixas's Decathlon are monitoring the situation. His team car has just had a word with him. This is a test of the inexperienced nineteen-year-old's tactical nous.
Healy and Skjelmose have been caught by the Johannessen chase group, at long last.
UAE are also working with Uno-X Mobility in the front group, with their eye on the stage win potentially for Arrieta.
UAE's contribution is making life harder for Seixas, who is dropping further behind.
Seixas is falling further adrift. He could do well to drop back into the group behind him, and receive some help.
There's still no sign of his Decathlon teammate Riccitello - might he have been dropped earlier in the day, and therefore not be up ahead to provide help?
Johannessen is the only man in the lead group interested in the GC, but there's plenty of incentive in it to work, as there's a stage win up for grabs.
The second highest man on GC in the lead group is Igor Arriera. At this rate he also stands to move up a lot.
Seixas has dropped back to the Lipowitz group.
This should help him, as there are multilple EF riders working at the front, for their GC man Alex Baudin.
Three minutes is the gap between the lead Johannessen group and the chasing Seixas group.
A reminder that 5:39 is Seixas' advantage over Johannessen on GC.
Arrieta is up to 5th on the virtual GC, while Johannessen is up to second - but still needs a big 2:30 more to dethrone Seixas.
The leaders start the final climb, the Alto de Asentzio, which rises for 7.2km at 5.3%.
Andrew August attacks from the foot of the climb, taking Garcia Pierna with him.
The gap between the Seixas and Johannessen group is holding steady again, at about 3:20. It looks like Seixas should be OK.
Van den Broeck and Gilvar are chasing after the leading duo.
August attacks again, and drops Garcia Pierna.
August is nearing the top of the climb.
The Johannessen group reaches the top just under a minute later.
This is a tricky situation for August. He wants to push on on this descent to seal victory, but the road is dangerously wet.
So far, though, August is descending to perfection.
Seixas leads his group over the top of the climb, three minutes after Johannessen. Provided he handles this final descent OK, he should be sealing overall victory.
August is looking good for the stage win - he's just 2km away from the finish.
First place on GC might be out of sight for Johannessen, but he’s still fighting for second. It looks like it’ll come down to the wire between himself and Florian Lipowitz.
Here the American comes.
Garcia Pierna arrives home a few seconds home for second place.
Van den Broek beats Glivar in the two-up sprint for third place.
And now the Johannessen group comes home. What will the gap be between them and the yellow jersey group?
First place overall seems out of reach for Johannessen, but he may well take second depending on when the yellow jersey group arrives.
Arrieta finishes, with a few UAE teammates. That'll be enough to catapult him up the GC rankings.
3:09 is the time Lipowitz needs to finish within Johanessen if he's to defend his second place overall.
Here comes the yellow jersey group now.
Lipowitz holds on for second, and it seems Johannessen will finish third, ahead of Ion Izagirre.
Andrew August soloing to stage victory.
Johannessen jumps all the way up from 11th to 3rd on GC, while Primož Roglič dissappears out of the top ten all together. Despite all of EF's work, Alex Baudin appears to have been dropped at some point during the final, as he falls to ninth overall, overtaken by Champoussin, Bilbao, Romo and Arrieta.
Andrew August's win is yet another for Ineos, who have been prolific this season. It's also their second of the race, following Laurance's success on stage three.
Victory today is also a major breakthrough for a rider who is just 20-years-old, and looks like a serious talent.
The real star of this week as a whole, though, was of course Paul Seixas. The Frenchman might have been put under pressure today, but still showed great maturity in not panicking, and didn't make any mistakes in the hazardous conditions.
Seixas has utterly dominated this race. He's won three stages, the overall title, and even done the clean sweep of points classification, mountains classification and best young rider.
Paul Seixas crossing the line, celebrating as he sealed overall victory.
Thanks for joining us today, and for this whole week of thrilling racing in the Basque Country. Each stage brought its own drama, but you suspect this race will be remembered as the one in which Paul Seixas announced himself to the world. If he keeps this up, he will be the star of this new generation of cyclists.
The action doesn’t stop here for the weekend. Far from it, in fact, as tomorrow is none other than Paris-Roubaix day. We’ll be bringing you live coverage of both the men’s and women’s races, one what is possibly the single best day of cycling in the year. Don’t miss it!
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