Itzulia Basque Country stage 2 LIVE – Race leader Paul Seixas preparing to fend off challenges from the likes of Isaac del Toro and Primož Roglič

The gap between the peloton and the break has grown, to 1:20. This is a crucial phase of the race for the break’s chances of survival, as they’ll need to grow it considerably more on this rolling section before the start of the final climb. The odds are against them.

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Ineos’ leader Vauquelin was held up a little, but didn’t go down, and was unaffected.

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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.

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Crash in the peloton – 3 Ineos riders involved, and 2 Tudor riders.

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The seven riders in the break today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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The updated KOM rankings, with just one climb left today:

1 Bou 12 points

The peloton hasn’t let up on the descent, though the gap has increased a little, to 50 seconds. The break will need to push on hard to give themselves a chance.

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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.

Bou again moves to the front to take the maximum points on offer at the top of the climb, this time from Armirail and Garcia.

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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.

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A nice gesture from Hayter in the break, who hands his bidon to a child watching on the roadside.

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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.

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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.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Enzo Paleni and Rémy Rochas were the two Groupama riders involved in the crash earlier.

The break has reached the bottom of the descent with their lead of 1:20 still intact. But you imagine they’ll need to grow it to more tha that before the final climb if they’re to have a chance of competing for the stage win.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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The updated KOM rankings, after Bou, Mintegi and Van den Broeck took the points:

1 Bou 9 points

Bou wants the mountains points again at the top of the climb. He jumps clear to seal them, ahead of the rest of the disinterested group.

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Fajardo has dropped back into the peloton.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

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The break are on the Alto de Zuarrarrate, and Farjado has been dropped.

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Still it’s Decathlon CMA CGM who lead the peloton.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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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.

The gap’s grown again, to 1:55. They’re nearing the end of this flat section, and will be climbing again soon.

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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.

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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.

The gap’s come down a little on this (rare) flat section, to about 1:40.

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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.

The gap between the break and the peloton has remained much the same on the descent, at just under two minutes.

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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.

As they continue to climb to the unclassified summit of Puerto de Lizarraga, the gap remains steady, hovering at around two minutes.

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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.

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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.

The gap between the peloton and the breakaway has come down a bit, to 2:15, as they climb an uncategorised rise.

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Paul Seixas in yellow, safely in the peloton.

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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:

1 Bou 6 points

The breakaway has a healthy lead of 2:35, as they reach the bottom of the descent.

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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At last, Armirail and García Pierna have made the juncture on the descent. We have a new leading group of seven.

The leaders are descending having crested the climb, the two chasers trailing by about 30 seconds, and the peloton by over two and a half minutes.

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The two still chasers still have to catch up to the leaders, however. As they near the summit of the climb, they’re still 45 seconds behind.

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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.

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As a result, the leading five’s advantage has been reduced too, down from about 1:30 to 50 seconds.

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The peloton appear less happy to let this pair go. They’ve upped the pace and are keeping them at just five seconds.

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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.

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The riders making their way through the streets of Pamplona at the start, more famous for bulls roaming through it than hoards of cyclists.

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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.

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The break is growing its lead on the climb, up to 1:20. Fajardo is still chasing behind, with 10 seconds to make up.

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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.

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Adrián Fajardo is chasing that quartet trying to join them.

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Four new riders have attacked – Hayter, Van den Broeck, Mintegi and Bou.

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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.

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Four riders have attacked already, but all brought back.

And they’re off!

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

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Paul Seixas in the yellow jersey this morning before the start.

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The riders are moving through the neutralised section in Pamplona. Not long before they’ll see the flag.

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To catch up with everything that happened during yesterday’s stage, have a read of our full race report.