Favorites time trial stage 1 Tour of the Basque Country 2026 | Double-digit gradients and temperatures in Bilbao

A time trial on the opening day is slowly but surely becoming a standard feature in the Basque Country. Monday’s opener in Bilbao follows that trend, with the riders tackling just under fourteen unusual kilometres against the clock to begin the race.

The road rises sharply almost immediately after the start for 2.4 kilometres, with ramps reaching 11 percent. A long descent follows toward the finish, but even there the riders are not given any respite, as the road kicks up again to a punishing 19 percent near the line. It is classic Basque terrain: awkward, steep and selective.

Times
Start: 2:30 PM local time
Finish: 5:40 PM local time

Conditions look excellent for the opening day in the Basque Country. Temperatures are expected to rise to as high as 27 degrees Celsius during the afternoon, while the wind should play hardly any role at all.

It may officially be a time trial, but this is really one for the general classification riders expected to feature near the top of the overall standings later this week. With a steep opening section, a steep finish and very little terrain in between to claw back time, it is immediately a serious test for the climbers.

The first two names that come to mind belong to the new generation: Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Paul Seixas of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. Both can climb, time trial and produce the kind of punch needed for a finale like this. That said, an old hand like Primož Roglič should certainly not be written off either. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe also has Florian Lipowitz and Finn Fisher-Black at its disposal, giving the team multiple cards to play.

Other riders aiming for a strong opening result include Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek and Kévin Vauquelin of INEOS Grenadiers. Ayuso returns after his crash at Paris-Nice, while Skjelmose is back after missing that race. Vauquelin has a strong time trial and the kind of punch that suits a short, sharp uphill finish, so he could easily ride into contention for the stage win as well.

There is also always room for local knowledge in the Basque Country. Pello Bilbao of Bahrain Victorious, Ion Izagirre and Alex Aranburu of Cofidis have all shown before that they tend to raise their level on home roads. And then there is Max Schachmann of Soudal Quick-Step, who won the opening day here last year, while Ilan Van Wilder offers another serious option for the Belgian squad.

Finally, Christian Scaroni, Brandon McNulty, Ben Healy, Antonio Tiberi and Ben Tulett are all worth mentioning as dangerous outsiders for this demanding opener.

Top favorites: Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) and Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)
Outsiders: Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Kévin Vauquelin (INEOS Grenadiers)
Long shots: Christian Scaroni (XDS-Astana), Brandon McNulty (UAE Emirates-XRG), Florian Lipowitz, Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Antonio Tiberi, Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Alex Aranburu (Cofidis), Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike), Ilan Van Wilder and Max Schachmann (Soudal Quick-Step)