Refresh
2026-04-06T16:16:41.660Z
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.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T16:11:54.791Z
Seixas, on his way to the biggest win of his career so far.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T16:05:32.358Z
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.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T16:01:53.022Z
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.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T15:57:09.101Z
The view in Bilbao, featuring the famous Guggenheim museum.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T15:53:34.999Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:51:57.673Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:50:21.993Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:46:17.933Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:43:09.597Z
PAUL SEIXAS WINS
2026-04-06T15:42:15.218Z
It’s a good ride, somewhere just outside the top ten.
2026-04-06T15:41:19.651Z
And finally here comes Mikel Landa, being cheered up the climb by his Basque home fans.
2026-04-06T15:40:07.539Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:36:49.330Z
Only three riders are left to finish, and none of them are going to threaten Seixas’ time.
2026-04-06T15:36:16.093Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:35:22.595Z
Del Toro’s climbing…and he’s outside of Seixas’s time already. That will surely be victory for the Frenchman!
2026-04-06T15:34:33.943Z
Now we wait for Del Toro.
2026-04-06T15:34:21.022Z
Ayuso finishes, well down in 35th at 1:16 . That could already be fatal for his GC chances.
2026-04-06T15:33:35.588Z
Ayuso is on the climb now, but is a long way off the best times.
2026-04-06T15:33:09.774Z
Ayuso is nearing the final climb. He’ll have some ground to make up after that slow start and problems on the descent.
2026-04-06T15:32:14.837Z
Landa’s keeping it up for now, remaining 8th best at the second check.
2026-04-06T15:30:39.144Z
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?
2026-04-06T15:27:48.335Z
Ayuso is having problems on the descent. He’s not holding back, but has misjudged another corner, having to correct his line once again.
2026-04-06T15:27:08.039Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:26:07.534Z
Meanwhile at the finish, potential GC contender Cian Uijtdebroeks is well down, losing 1:26 as the 46th fastest rider.
2026-04-06T15:25:18.680Z
The last man of the day, Mikel Landa, has set off. All the riders are either out on the road or finished already.
2026-04-06T15:24:06.313Z
This is all looking very good for Paul Seixas’s hopes of sealing the stage win.
2026-04-06T15:23:44.981Z
Del Toro is through the first check, and is also off the pace! He’s 20th fastest at 14 seconds.
2026-04-06T15:23:12.532Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:22:35.931Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:21:04.157Z
Ayuso is getting out of the saddle a few times to generate more power as he nears the top.
2026-04-06T15:20:11.295Z
Ayuso and Del Toro are taking on this first climb with different styles, Ayuso sat in the saddle, Del Toro bouncing out of it.
2026-04-06T15:17:37.784Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:15:50.209Z
Off goes Juan Ayuso! He’s got his game face on and sprints off the start ramp.
2026-04-06T15:12:31.485Z
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?
2026-04-06T15:08:07.890Z
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.
2026-04-06T15:05:39.833Z
Second place for Vauquelin! That’s good enough for a podium finish for now.
2026-04-06T15:05:05.996Z
Vauquelin is on the climb, and is looking good for a podium finish.
2026-04-06T14:59:19.614Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:56:54.423Z
McNulty finishes with the seventh best time. He faded in the second half.
2026-04-06T14:56:27.247Z
McNulty is on the climb, but Seixas s time has alerady gone. That’s another rival seen off by the French teenager.
2026-04-06T14:55:04.857Z
Vauquelin is through the first time check 5th, five seconds slower than Seixas.
2026-04-06T14:50:45.506Z
Felix Großschartner, setting the second fastest time.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T14:47:55.015Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:47:13.518Z
Seixas at the finish, setting what remains the best time.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T14:46:43.013Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:45:50.474Z
That ride from August would certainly suggest that the wind may well indeed have changed.
2026-04-06T14:43:25.708Z
The good times at the finish keep coming – AJ August is the latest, posting the sixth best.
2026-04-06T14:39:14.843Z
If it has, then Brandon McNulty could be about to benefit. The American has just started his ride.
2026-04-06T14:38:47.652Z
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?
2026-04-06T14:38:04.209Z
Another big time, this time by Ilan Van Wilder. He’s fourth fastest, 29 seconds down!
2026-04-06T14:37:28.179Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:36:25.383Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:34:45.117Z
Second best time for Großschartner. What a ride! Few would have predicted this.
2026-04-06T14:34:20.837Z
Here comes Felix Großschartner towards the finish, and he hasn’t slowed down! This is going to be a very good time.
2026-04-06T14:33:35.460Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:29:59.116Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:27:41.836Z
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
2026-04-06T14:26:42.026Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:24:53.531Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:16:54.281Z
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.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T14:10:26.000Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:08:15.426Z
Paul Seixas, the leader in the clubhouse.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T14:07:17.897Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:01:18.625Z
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.
2026-04-06T14:00:01.254Z
A very good ride by Michael Leonard sees him set the fifth best time at the finish.
2026-04-06T13:50:36.584Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:49:35.651Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:48:08.186Z
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!
2026-04-06T13:46:29.209Z
Here comes Seixas on the final climb – and he’s on course to smash the best time!
2026-04-06T13:46:08.742Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:43:55.050Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:43:16.697Z
Armirail, on his way to posting what remains the second fastest time at the finish.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T13:41:06.038Z
Alex Baudin has just set the 5th best time at the finish.
2026-04-06T13:40:33.726Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:39:26.587Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:38:19.840Z
Wow! Seixas is on a monster rise. He’s just smashed the previous best time of Riccitello by a whole 14 seconds.
2026-04-06T13:37:27.909Z
Lipowitz is also through that first check with a good time, the fifth fastest.
2026-04-06T13:36:57.022Z
Seixas is quickest at the first time check!
2026-04-06T13:35:46.554Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:34:39.967Z
Florian Lipowitz is on the course. How will he compare to his teammate, and potential GC co-leader, Primož Roglič.
2026-04-06T13:34:04.297Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:31:48.367Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:30:10.899Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:28:15.477Z
Ben Tulett, on his way to the second best time of the day so far.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T13:24:32.773Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:21:15.714Z
He has indeed, finishing third fastest, 25 seconds slower than the best time.
2026-04-06T13:20:27.248Z
Bilbao is climbing to the finish, and looking like he’s finishing strongly.
2026-04-06T13:18:24.506Z
The current leader at the clubhouse, Primož Roglič.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T13:17:57.160Z
Ben Healy came home 6th fastest, 45 seconds slower than Roglič. That’s a hefty chunk already, if he has GC ambitions.
2026-04-06T13:16:19.730Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:14:12.383Z
Tulett also can’t challenge Roglič’s time – he’s quicker than Johanessen, but a distant 24 seconds off the Slovenian.
2026-04-06T13:13:26.268Z
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2026-04-06T13:12:08.916Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:11:27.627Z
Johannessen is climbing the final rise to the finish, will he beat Roglič?
2026-04-06T13:08:31.846Z
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?
2026-04-06T13:07:02.670Z
NEW FASTEST TIME – PRIMOZ ROGLIC
Roglič has smashed Izagirre’s time! He’s a whole 33 seconds quicker at the finish.
2026-04-06T13:05:55.573Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:04:38.872Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:02:27.242Z
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.
2026-04-06T13:01:14.484Z
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?
2026-04-06T13:00:01.923Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:58:15.179Z
NEW FASTEST TIME – ION IZAGIRRE
2026-04-06T12:55:28.664Z
And Roglič has increased his advantage at the second time check, 12 seconds faster than the former leader Beloki.
2026-04-06T12:54:48.173Z
As expected, Roglič is posts a new best time at the first check, a whole 7 seconds faster than Mintegi.
2026-04-06T12:53:45.075Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:48:59.812Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:47:39.906Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:46:34.013Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:45:07.402Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:42:50.125Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:40:12.813Z
Izagirre is off now!
2026-04-06T12:37:09.623Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:34:59.919Z
The riders are setting off at one minute intervals, until the final 21 riders, between him will be two minutes each.
2026-04-06T12:31:39.420Z
OFFICIAL START
2026-04-06T12:28:08.416Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:23:06.559Z
Here’s the full of start times, with home favourite Mikel Landa last off at 17:23 local time.
2026-04-06T12:20:43.049Z
The first rider, Georg Zimmermann, will set off in about ten minutes, at 14:20 local time.
2026-04-06T12:16:58.879Z
Not today, however – the race will begin with an Individual Time Trial.
2026-04-06T12:14:59.298Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:11:35.663Z
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.
2026-04-06T12:07:00.888Z
Hello and welcome to stage one of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country!
Please follow our community guidelines.” data-join-the-conversation-text=”Join the Conversation”>
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.
Logout