Lapeira outsmarts Eenkhoorn in France, Movistar propels Barrenetxea to first pro win in Getxo

In Spain, the weather is kicking into high gear. Or should we say, high temperatures. In the Basque Country, where the Clasica San Sebastian and Circuito de Getxo were held this weekend, temperatures soared to a whopping 41 degrees Celsius on Sunday. As a result, the second race was shortened, though only slightly.

The riders completed one less lap and started 45 minutes later than originally scheduled: at 12:45 PM instead of 12:00 PM. Despite the adjustments, there were still 170 kilometers of racing to be done around Bilbao, in temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius. Notable names on the start list included Pim Ronhaar, Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), Maxim Van Gils (Lotto-Dstny) and Steff Cras (TotalEnergies).

In the early stages, smaller teams were particularly active, eager to gain exposure in a pro race. Eventually, seven riders managed to break away from the peloton, which didn’t seem too concerned about the group ahead. However, on the challenging course, several riders in the break began to struggle, and cooperation within the group was inconsistent, with attacks occurring here and there. Ultimately, the breakaway's adventure ended 50 kilometers from the finish line.

The WorldTour teams then took control, with Lotto-Dstny and Lidl-Trek raising the pace heading into the finale. This made it difficult for any attackers to make a move, although Vadim Pronskiy (Astana-Qazaqstan) still attempted a solo break, which lasted about eight kilometers.

On the final ascent of the Alto de Pike (2 km at 9 percent), the favorites began their attacks. Van Gils made the first move, prompting reactions from Juan López, Quinn Simmons (both Lidl-Trek), Clement Champoussin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) and Javier Romo (Movistar). However, their small advantage was quickly neutralized by the peloton, which had dwindled to just 25 riders. After the regrouping, López crashed, leaving Lidl-Trek without one of its key riders for the finale.

Despite various attempts, no riders were able to break away from the reduced group. The final decision came on the grueling uphill finish. Einer Rubio launched the sprint for Movistar, but it was Jon Barrenetxea, not Romo, who took the victory. The 24-year-old Spaniard won the sprint to claim his first pro win. Champoussin finished second, with Orluis Aular taking third place.

Meanwhile, in France, La Polynormande presented a tough challenge. The riders spent the entire day on a local circuit with numerous short but steep climbs, offering little opportunity for recovery.

The race started aggressively, with strong riders like Axel Zingle (who will join Visma | Lease a Bike next year) and Guillaume Martin expending energy early on. The aggressive racing in the peloton made it difficult for weaker riders, leading to several splits in the pack.

Eventually, a strong group of about ten riders broke away from the peloton. Among them were French champion Paul Lapeira and Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto-Dstny), accompanied by his young teammate Liam Slock. The peloton lacked the cohesion to chase down the group, leaving the breakaway to fight for the win.

With seven kilometers remaining, the leading group was reduced to six riders: Eenkhoorn, Slock, Lapeira, Brieuc Rolland, Anthony Delaplace and Mathis Le Berre. Three more riders were dropped when Lapeira launched a powerful attack. Only Eenkhoorn and the young Frenchman Rolland could respond. Rolland then tried to surprise his more experienced colleagues with an attack in the final kilometer but was unsuccessful and had exhausted himself in the process. In the sprint, Lapeira outpaced Eenkhoorn, adding another victory to his breakthrough season.