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Tour of the Basque Country 2026 | Brutal week awaits Del Toro, Ayuso, Seixas and company

Cycling
by Martijn Polder
Saturday, 04 April 2026 at 13:23
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Spring has truly hit its peak with the Tour of Flanders, and the coming month promises plenty more enjoyment in the north of Europe. But in Spain, the climbers will once again sense their chance. In the Tour of the Basque Country, stars such as Isaac del Toro, Primož Roglič and Juan Ayuso are set to face a seriously demanding route. IDLProCycling.com looks ahead.
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The Basque Country is steeped in cycling culture. You rarely find fans quite like those in northern Spain, and a number of top riders have their roots there. The races in the region also have a rich history: think of the Clásica San Sebastián, while the Tour of the Basque Country itself has now been around for well over a century. Alberto Contador, Sean Kelly, Jacques Anquetil and Alejandro Valverde all found success there.
Because of its place on the calendar, in early April, the race is also seen as a stepping stone toward the Ardennes Classics. This year too, there is still more than a week between the final stage and the Amstel Gold Race. But riders with plans for the Giro d’Italia also view the Tour of the Basque Country as an ideal way to sharpen the legs. And sharpened they certainly will be, judging by the punishing course on offer.
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Recent winners of the Tour of the Basque Country

2025 João Almeida
2024 Juan Ayuso
2023 Jonas Vingegaard
2022 Daniel Felipe Martínez
2021 Primoz Roglic
2020 not competed
2019 Ion Izagirre
2018 Primoz Roglic
2017 Alejandro Valverde
2016 Alberto Contador
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Route, favorites stage wins and times Tour of the Basque Country 2026

Time trial stage 1, April 6, 2026: Bilbao - Bilbao (13.9 km)

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A time trial to open the race has gradually become standard in the Basque Country, and they are rarely flat. Bilbao is no different, with 14 kilometres against the clock. The road ramps up steeply almost from the start for 2.4 kilometres, with gradients reaching 11 percent. A long descent follows toward the finish, but even there the riders are not spared, with the road kicking up again to 19 percent near the line.
Favorites
Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)
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Times
Start: 2:30 PM local time
Finish: 5:40 PM local time

Stage 2, April 7, 2026: Pamplona-Iruña - Mendukilo Kobazuloa (164.1 km)

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One thing is clear: pure sprinters have little to gain in the Basque Country. Stage 2 already includes 3,200 metres of climbing. After a rolling day, the finale brings two demanding ascents, with the San Miguel de Aralar and the final climb to Mendukilo Kobazuloa set to create immediate time gaps.
Favorites
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious)
Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)
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Times
Start: 1:22 PM local time
Finish: approx. 5:15 PM local time

Stage 3, April 8, 2026: Basauri - Basauri (152.8 km)

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On paper, stage 3 is the easiest day of the week. That says plenty when there are still 2,800 metres of climbing on the menu. After a relatively straightforward opening phase, the finale becomes demanding with a series of short, vicious ascents. With the final 400 metres averaging 9 percent, this could turn into a brutally selective sprint finish.
Favorites
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor)
Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana)
Times
Start: 1:40 PM local time
Finish: approx. 5:20 PM local time

Stage 4, April 9, 2026: Galdakao - Galdakao (167.2 km)

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The race continues in classic Basque style. Stage 4 resembles the Clásica San Sebastián in many respects, with no fewer than eight climbs packed into the route. All of them are eight kilometres or shorter, and none of them are easy. The finish also rises uphill. From start to finish, this should be another draining day in the saddle.
Favorites
Ben Healy (EF Education - EasyPost)
Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)
Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek)
Times
Start: 1:19 PM local time
Finish: 5:20 PM local time

Stage 5, April 10, 2026: Eibar - Eibar (176.2 km)

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It almost feels like a copy-and-paste job from Thursday. Friday’s fifth stage also includes eight climbs. Four of them come in the final 65 kilometres, with a couple of especially awkward and irregular ramps in among them. Nearly 4,000 metres of elevation gain in 175 kilometres, and that after four heavy days already in the legs, means the riders should be feeling the strain by now.
Favorites
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Kévin Vauquelin (INEOS Grenadiers)
Times
Start: 1:05 PM local time
Finish: approx. 5:15 PM local time

Stage 6, April 11, 2026: Goizper-Antzuola - Bergara (135.4 km)

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The riders may almost be at the end, but the final 135 kilometres of the Tour of the Basque Country still squeeze in 3,000 metres of climbing. It is uphill from the start, even if the finale becomes slightly less severe on paper. Then again, “less severe” is all relative in the Basque Country. If the general classification is still open, this could turn into a very long and very aggressive final afternoon.
Favorites
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM)
Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)
Times
Start: 2:07 PM local time
Finish: approx. 5:20 PM local time

Favorites final classification Tour of the Basque Country 2026

A superb race week deserves a superb start list. Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar will not be there, but does that only make for a more open race? Defending champion João Almeida is absent, so UAE Team Emirates - XRG will hope Isaac del Toro can show his best level. He will also be backed by two very strong lieutenants in Marc Soler and Brandon McNulty.
There is no shortage of opposition, though. It will be the first time Juan Ayuso meets his former teammate as a rival, but the key question is how well he has recovered from his Paris-Nice crash. Should he falter, Lidl-Trek also has Mattias Skjelmose in reserve. From a Basque point of view, many eyes will be on Mikel Landa, although Soudal Quick-Step also brings Ilan Van Wilder as a GC option.
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe starts in Bilbao with two leaders. Florian Lipowitz finished third at the Tour of Catalonia and now lines up alongside Primož Roglič. Decathlon CMA CGM also brings more than one climbing card to play: Matthew Riccitello is one name, but above all there is Paul Seixas, who looks ready to target a WorldTour general classification in earnest for the first time.
Continue reading below the photo!
Paul Seixas
Pello Bilbao is always worth watching on home roads, but Bahrain Victorious may look even more toward Antonio Tiberi. At Cofidis, Ion Izagirre can never be underestimated: he won this race as recently as 2019. In twelve participations, he has finished in the top ten no fewer than eight times. Movistar, meanwhile, will focus primarily on Cian Uijtdebroeks, while INEOS Grenadiers has Kévin Vauquelin in its sights.
Visma | Lease a Bike does not send a true outright leader to the Basque Country, but Ben Tulett seems the most logical man to carry their ambitions. Uno-X Mobility will hope Tobias Halland Johannessen can repeat his Tirreno-Adriatico level. XDS Astana arrives with a whole cluster of outsiders: Clément Champoussin, Lorenzo Fortunato, Sergio Higuita, Harold Tejada and Christian Scaroni all fit that category.
Then there are several Classics specialists who should, in theory, cope very well with this terrain, but who may also already have one eye on the Ardennes triple. Ben Healy of EF Education-EasyPost is one such rider, having won a stage here last year. Julian Alaphilippe could do something similar this year, while riders such as Louis Barré and Alex Aranburu also belong in that conversation.

Data powered by FirstCycling.com

Who are the favorites for the final classification of the 2026 Tour of the Basque Country, according to IDLProCycling.com?

Top favorite: Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates - XRG)
Outsiders: Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain victorious)
Long shots: Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Kévin Vauquelin (INEOS Grenadiers), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), Harold Tejada (XDS Astana), Cian Uijtdebroeks (Movistar), Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step), Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), Matthew Riccitello (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Ben Tulett (Visma | Lease a Bike)

TV broadcast Tour of the Basque Country 2026

Anyone wanting to follow the Tour of the Basque Country will need Eurosport or HBO Max. Belgian television will not broadcast the race, but Eurosport 1 will carry the action every day, with HBO Max providing the online stream.

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