Itzulia Basque Country 2026, April 6-11

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Very good TT from Landa today. Hope we get to see him on the attack this week.

 

[Brullnux]

Because there is quite a strong correlation between being good at climbing and TT'ing outside a Grand Tour and being good at climbing and TT'ing in a Grand Tour.

Richie Porte reading this and crying, wondering why it was him who had to be the exception that proves the rule

 

[tobydawq]

Richie Porte reading this and crying, wondering why it was him who had to be the exception that proves the rule

Yeah, he's of course the most obvious one. There were also Spilak and Izagirre who were masters in one-weekers but couldn't really get it working in Grand Tours (Spilak almost never riding them of course didn't help his endeavour).

 

[search]

Adam Yates is another example, who more or less took over Porte's rule as the one-week king for a couple of years.

 

[Brullnux]

Yeah, he's of course the most obvious one. There were also Spilak and Izagirre who were masters in one-weekers but couldn't really get it working in Grand Tours (Spilak almost never riding them of course didn't help his endeavour).

Spilak was amazing. He was the only cyclist I have ever seen to be totally unbothered by the entire concept of Grand Tours. Just turn up to a one week stage race, finish top five or win if it's in Switzerland, go home.

Porte was more tragic because he won five of the seven big one week stage races (4th in Tirreno-Adriatico, 2nd Itzulia), and then his only ever GT podium was the covid Tour.

 

[Brullnux]

Adam Yates is another example, who more or less took over Porte's rule as the one-week king for a couple of years.

To be fair to Yates, he actually did fine in three week races, especially towards the end of his career.

 

[Netserk]

To be fair to Yates, he actually did fine in three week races, especially towards the end of his career.

before uae the difference was huge

 

[CyclistAbi]

Congratulations to Paul Seixas for winning the ITT.

As for performance of Rogla and position he is now in i feel that the gap to Paul is bridgeable and Rogla will close it down starting tomorrow. If RBH will test the field with some baiting then i guess stage 2 is the best opportunity for that. Although i feel that plan A should now be to deliver Rogla in best possible position at every stage finale and for sprinting to be the main theme.

 

[Red Rick]

In my view Ion Izagirre is the greatest example. One 9th place in the Vuelta but that's the only top 20.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Spilak walked so Roglic could ski.

 

[Tim Cahill]

This kid is merely a poor mans Andreas Klöden

 

[Lequack]

Honestly he looks more Italian than French. More like Luigi than Paul.

 

[Brullnux]

before uae the difference was huge

Nah he'd had a couple of 4th places and other top tens. It wasn't as if he was really truly setting the world alight in them or beating really top tier opposition until 2019 Tirreno. There definitely isn't the level of discrepancy that we see with Porte

 

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Today's profile:

Soler won a stage over the San Miguel de Aralar climb in the 2020 Vuelta after a late attack from a 10-men favorites group, but that one did not include the final bump. As far as I can see, it's done for the first time this year:

 

[Devil's Elbow]

To be fair to Yates, he actually did fine in three week races, especially towards the end of his career.

I like how Yates is washed up enough that we're talking about him like he's a former rider when he's still active and was winning Suisse and finishing sixth in a stacked Tour less than two years ago.

 

[Rob5091]

Roglic has 'not studied the parcours' and will be taking things 'day by day'.

Always helpful, here's the roadbook - Roadbook link

 

[jonan92]

Very adventurous to say that Seixas has already secured the race. Friday's stage is very pronte to long-range attacks and could be a nightmare to control

 

[Rob5091]

The map of today's stage 2 shows guys going clockwise and anti-clockwise on the same strech of road ... could be interesting!

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The map of today's stage 2 shows guys going clockwise and anti-clockwise on the same strech of road ... could be interesting!

They‘ve got 45 kilometers between going one or the other direction, that‘s like more than double the time you‘d need.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

The map of today's stage 2 shows guys going clockwise and anti-clockwise on the same strech of road ... could be interesting!

Not particularly unusual at all, is it?

 

[Rob5091]

They‘ve got 45 kilometers between going one or the other direction, that‘s like more than double the time you‘d need.

Well that's a relief to know otherwise it could get really confusing and possibly dangerous!

 

[Rob5091]

Not particularly unusual at all, is it?

Not unusual, but it all looked at the least, confusing with arrows pointing both ways on bits of the parcours and seemingly not too distant either. We shall see if there's some unintended amusement!