At it happened: Action-packed queen stage of the Itzulia Basque Country decided by two-up sprint

But Seixas manages to come round him in the sprint

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Still Lipowitz leads

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Seixas clings to his wheel.

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Lipowitz leads as the road narrows and accelerates.

Under the flamme rouge!

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There’s no impotus in the chase behind. They’re now almost a minute down.

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Lipowitz is taking a turn now though, as they near the final 2km.

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Normally you’d back Seixas in a two-up sprint, but will Lipowitz be the fresher man having sat on his wheel for so much?

35 seconds is the gap between the leaders and the chase group, who are looking at each other rather than chasing. It looks like we’ll have a two-up sprint.

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Behind, Roglič and Romo have been caught by the chase group.

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If they keep working like this, they should make it to the finish together.

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Seixas looks for Lipowitz to take a turn, and the German duly obliges.

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The leading duo reach the bottom of the descent, and now begin a draggy final 6km to the finish line.

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Seixas is throwing himself down this descent, but Lipowitz is sticking to his wheel.

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Tobias Halland Johannessen had to break at one of the corners of this descent, and has been dropped from the chase group as a result.

As they near the finish, Seixas and Lipowitz lead Roglič and Romo by about 40 seconds, and the following group by about 50 seconds.

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By taking the points, Seixas also leads the virtual montains classification now. At this rate, he could be on the podium for all four jerseys this evening.

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Remember tha Seixas dropped most of the peloton, including Lipowitz, on a descent yesterday.

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The chasing duo reach the top 37 seconds later.

Seixas takes the points at the top, but has Lipowitz still glued to his wheel. Unless something happens on this descent, it looks like we’re going to have a two-up sprint.

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Lipowitz is no longer taking any turns, as they near the summit.

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The leading duo are 1km from the summit.

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Roglič and Romo are still 30 seconds behind, while the chase group behind is drifting further back on this climb, to 55 seconds.

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Now Lipowitz comes through to take a turn for Seixas .

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Still Seixas, yet still Lipowitz sticks to his wheel. The Frenchman has looked a little more human than in previous stages.

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Baudin attacks out of that chase group, but can’t go clear.

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Seixas and Lipowitz are have begun the final climb, 25 seconds up on Roglič and Romo, and 48 seconds up on the 8-man chase.

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There are 8 riders in the chase behind – Tejada, Champoussin, Baudin, Izagirre, Bilbao, Vauquelin, Tobias Johannessen and Uijtdebroeks.

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Roglič is about to catch Romo.

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They’re descending to the foot of the final climb, Urkaregi. This one’s a lot gentler than the previous one, averaging just 4.3% for 5.3km. If Lipowitz could stick to Seixas on the 10% slopes of the previous climb, he should be able to do so on this one too.

The two leaders have 10 seconds on Romo, and about 30 seconds on another chase group featuring Baudin and Izagirre, with Roglič somewhere in between.

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Romo has got himself back to just 10 seconds behind the two leaders.

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Romo got himself back up quickly and was third to the top, with Roglič fourth.

Moments later Seixas and Lipowitz crest the climb together.

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Romo crashed just as he made the catch touching wheel with Lipowitz ahead of him!

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Romo is on a blinder! He’s about to catch the leadind duo.

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Javier Romo has emerged from behind to latch onto the wheel of Primož Roglič.

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1km from the summit, Seixas continues to do all the work, with Lipowitz hanging on to his wheel and Roglič not making any inroads.

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Roglič is eight seconds beind the leading duo.

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With Roglič chasing, Lipowitz is staying glued to Seixas’ wheel without taking a turn.

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Roglič has dropped Izagirre and is bridging up to the two leaders.

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Seixas does a tentative dig, but Lipowitz is equal to it.

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Those two have gone clear form the rest.

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Lipowitz attacks, but Seixas follows!

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Roglič is looking confidant, and does a brief turn before Seixas takes over again.

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Lipowitz, Roglic and Izagirre are the only riders left with Seixas!

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Seixas is thinning the group out, and catches Healy.

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Prodhomme and Riccitello are done, leaving Seixas to set the pace at the front himself.

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Soler has been caught by the chasers.

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Many of the riders from the original break are being dropped out of the chase group.

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Healy attacks Soler on the climb, and drops him.

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30 seconds behind, the chase group also begin the climb, with Prodhomme and Riccitello leading out Seixas.

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Soler and Healy are on the climb now!

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Prodhomme is leading the chase group. Everyone is awaiting an attack from his team leader Seixas on this climb.

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Soler and Healy both have big engines and are working well together to preserve their lead of about half a minute, but things are about to get much harder for them.

The upcoming Alto de Izua is a brute of a climb, averaging just short of 10% relentlessly for 3km. This is going to cause carnage, and the cream will surely rise to the top from the group of favourites behind.

Soler and Healy are retaining their lead over the yellow jersey group, keeping it at about 35 seconds.

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The upcoming kilometres are rolling, with various steep ramps, before they arrive at the foot of the day’s penultimate climb, Alto de Izua (3.6km at 9.9%).

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There have been many KOM points awarded today over the many different summits. Here’s what the virtual classification looks like as a result:

1 Bou 22

Soler crests the climb first ahead of Healy, Prodhomme leading the chasers about 30 seconds behind.

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Soler and Healy going well, increasing their lead to 30 seconds.

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The riders are climbing up the latest climb, the 3.4km, 6.8% Trabakua.

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A group containing Skjelmose and Tulett have been well distenced. They’re over two minutes behind the yellow jersey, and are set to tumble down the GC rankings.

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Soler attacks, yet again, and this time has Healy go with him.

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This lead group is a mixture of GC riders like Seixas, Lipowitz, Roglič and Izagirre, plus some who were in the original day’s break, like Vauquelin, Healy, Scaroni and Soler.

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This lead group has grown some more – and Roglič has managed to make his way back on into it.

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Soler has been caught and is back in the yellow jersey group.

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Now Aranburu takes over, working for Cofidis teammate Izagirre.

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Prodhomme is setting the pace in this group, as Seixas sole Decathlon teammate present.

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GC riders Roglič and Izagirre have made it into this yellow jersey group, but missing are the men who were 5th and 6th on GC, Skjelmose and Tulett.

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Soler tries another attack out of this group, as they reach the bottom of the descent.

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Almost immediately after the catch is made, Lipowitz attacks. Seixas is alert and on his wheel, though, along with a teammate.

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Vauquelin has been caught by the 11-man chase group, which features Seixas and Lipowitz.

Vauquelin only leads by a few second, over Soler, Bilbao, and a handful of other chasers who have joined, including Seixas.

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Lipowitz attacking on the climb earlier, unable to drop Seixas.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Bilbao also made it into that group, and has attacked out of it to join Soler.

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This chase group has gotten bigger on the descent – there are now 19 riders in it.

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Soler has attaced the chase group on the descent.

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Fortunato and Scaroni join the yellow jersey chase group, as they begin the descent.

Vauquelin crests the climb still out front alone.

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Baudin also managed to break out of the peloton to join the yellow jersey group, so there are three men in the GC top ten present in it.

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Vauquelin is 20 seconds ahead of the yellow jersey group.

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There are a few more riders with the Decathlon duo – Lipowitz, Soler, Healy, Baudin, Leonard, Aranburu and Ruiz.

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Seixas has teammate Prodhomme with him, and he’s setting the pace.

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Veistroffer must have been caught earlier.

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Kévin Vauquelin attacks out of that front group, and now leads alone.

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It seems there’s only one group of four ahead of Seixas and Lipowitz.

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The chasing group is breaking up, and Lipowitz and Seixas are catching some of them.

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Seixas has grabbed onto his wheel, but everyone else is gapped for now.

Lipowitz makes a move! This is a bold one so far from the finish.

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Kruijswijk and Veistroffer together, before the latter went clear on the climb.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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And in the peloton, it’s Decathlon who are setting the pace. This could be a sign that Seixas is hungry for yet another stage win.

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In the chase behind, Uno-X is setting the pace.

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Veistroffer has one clear of Kruijswijk.

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The road ramps up, as the leading duo hit the climb!

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Bahrain Victorious are motoring at the front of the peloton. They’re less than a minute away from the chasers.

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Paul Seixas in the yellow jersey, surrounded by his Decathlon teammates.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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The split that opened up in the chase group has been closed again, and they’re all back together.

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This is an important phase of the race, as the hardest climb of the day is just 5km away.

The Krabelin is 5km, but its real difficulty lies in its gradient, which averages an aching 9.4%. We’re still a long way from the finish, but the race could ignite on its slopes.

Kruijswijk and Veistroffer lead by one minute, with the peloton three minutes down. The leaders are paying for their efforts for having gone so early.

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The chase have got their act together some more, and are bringing the gap down again. It’s down from two minutes to just over one minute.

Kruijswijk took the points over the summit ahead of Veistroffer, while Johannessen led the chase over for third

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Once again its Bahrain Victorious who are setting the pace in the peloton, doing the work having missed the break again.

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Kruijswijk and Veistroffer continue to grow their lead, which is now two minutes on the chasers, and although the peloton has clawed a little back on them, bringing them to 4:30.

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The riders are approaching the latest climb on the menu, the Alto de Kalbario. At 2.4km long it’s one of the easier ones tackled today, but has a steep average of 7.5%.

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The chase group.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

So the situation after just over two hours of racing is that we have two leaders out front, Steven Kruijswijk and Baptiste Veistroffer, who lead a large group of chasers by 1:45, and the peloton by five minutes.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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The chasing group is someway behind, too, at 1:45.

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Kruijswijk has company at the front of the race – he’s just been joined by Veistroffer.

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Michael Leonard and Anders Halland Johannessen are both also present in the large chasing group.

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It seems there are a few riders we missed from the run-down of everyone in the break – including the indefatigable Baptiste Veistroffer, who has attacked out of it in pursuit of Kruijswijk.

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The breakaway group up the road.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kruijswijk is on a mission. He leads the chasers by 1:20, who are themselves still 3:30 up on the peloton.

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The group of seven that had gone clear are now back in the peloton – apart from Kruijswijk, who now leads the race by himself.

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Yesterday’s winner Aranburu, in the break once again today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This lead group of seven contines to grow its gap on the peloton on the descent, now 4:30 ahead.

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Steven Kruijswijk has bridged up to the 6 leaders.

Aranburu, Fortunato, López, García Pierna, Beloki and Ruiz crest the top of the climb together, ahead of the chasing group.

The peloton remains far adrift, at over four minutes.

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Aranburu, Fortunato, López, García Pierna, Beloki and Ruiz have gone clear and opened up a little gap over the rest.

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Some riders in the break aren’t content with the group being this big. They’ve attacked on the lower slopes of the climb.

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There are also no Lidl-Trek riders in the group. You thought they might target breakaways now that Ayuso is out for good, but they do have a GC contender to defend in Skjelmose, who is fifth on GC.

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As for the teams that missed the move, Bahrain Victorious are notable by their absence. They missed the move yesterday as well, and spent much of the day chasing to try to bring that day’s break – to no avail. To do so twice in two days feels complacent.

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Those riders are about to take on the third climb of the day, the Etumeta (4.7km at 7.1%).

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Here is the 27-man break in full:

Guillaume Martin, Clément Braz Afonso, Quentin Pacher (all Groupama-FDJ United), Steven Kruijswijk, Tijmen Graat, Menno Huising (all Visma-Lease a Bike), Marc Soler, Adrià Pericas (both UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Lorenzo Fortunato, Christian Scaroni (both XDS Astana), Mauri Vansevenant, Steff Cras (both Soudal-QuickStep), Ben Healy, Markel Beloki (EF Education-EasyPost), Juan Pedro López, Raúl García Pierna (both Movistar), Mattia Gaffuri, Juan Guillermo Martinez (both Picnic-PostNL), Kévin Vauquelin (Ineos Grenadiers), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Hugo Houle (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon CMA CGM), Haimar Etxeberria (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe), Andreas Kron (Uno-X Mobility), Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma), Samuel Fernández (Caja Rural – Seguros RGA) and Mikel Bizkarra (Euskaltel – Euskadi)

And it appears that this will be the break of the day. The peloton has sat up, and allowed them a lead of about three minutes already.

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It’s a large group that’s caught Veistroffer, of over 30 riders it seems.

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It’s all change in the race, as Veistroffer has been joined by a group of riders.

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After a flying start to life at Lidl-Trek with overall victory at Volta ao Algarve, Itzulia Basque Country follows Paris-Nice as the second consecutive stage race the Spaniard has pulled out of. That attracted criticism in some quarters, but his lead defended the decision as the right move to look after his fitness ahead of the coming Ardennes Classics.

Veistroffer’s still out in front alone, as he goes over the second climb of the day. At this rate he could find himself in a similar situation to Brandon McNulty yesterday, who spent a large portion of the day leading the race alone, before eventually burning out to finish almost 20 minutes down.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

They’re on the climb now, with Veistroffer leading the race by just less than one minute.

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It’s been a subdued start so far, but that should be about to change as they ride a short plateau to the foot of the first category one climb of the day, the 5.7km Azurki, which averages a tough 7.7%.

Veistroffer leads the race over the climb, to take the KOM points.

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Baptiste Veistroffer, leading the race

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Both Fernández and Thompson have been caught, but Veistroffer remains out there alone.

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The peloton were treated to the unusual spectacle of a local traditional ‘Aurresku’ performance before the start of the stage today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Reuben Thompson also attacks out of the peloton, and is now third on the road.

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Veistroffer has a lead of a minute over the peloton already, and 30 seconds over the chaser Fernández. That will likely change as they start climbing in a few kilometres.

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The first 10km of this stage are flat, but then the climbing starts with the category three Elkorrieta, and barely relented for the remainder of the day.

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Sinuhé Fernández is in pursuit of Veistroffer.

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Baptiste Veistroffer, who was very busy during the first phase of yesterday’s stage, is the first to get a small gap today.

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If yesterday’s stage is anything to go by, this will be a long, competitive battle to form the day’s break.

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The scene at the start.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

And they’re off!

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The weather continues to smile on the riders, treating them to blue skies and a temperature of over 20 degrees.

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The winner of stage three, Axel Laurance, has not made it to the start this morning. He’s pulled out of the race.

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The riders are making their way though the neutralised zone as we speak.

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Paul Seixas in yellow with his Decathlon CMA CGM team at the start today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-04-10T10:58:19.659Z

There was a lot to unpack from yesterday’s hectic stage. Have a read of our report for the full lowdown.