2026 Itzulia Basque Country Stage 1 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 1 of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country! Our live time-trial times and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
The Tour of the Basque Country opens with an ITT for punchers. Immediately after the start, the riders tackle a 2.4-kilometre climb, and the race finishes on a 470-metre ramp at 9.2%. Over 13.9 kilometres, the route features an elevation gain of 240 metres.
Immediately after leaving the start podium, the riders tackle the Santo Domingo climb. It’s a 2.4-kilometre ascent with an average gradient of 7.3%, including some sections that reach double digits. Halfway up, the road flattens briefly, so the rest of the climb is tougher than the average statistic suggests.
After reaching the summit, the riders descend for about 9 kilometres, and after 2 kilometres on the flat, they face a demanding finish in Etxebarria Park. It's a 470-metre ramp with a maximum gradient of 19% and an average of 9.2%.
The course is an exact copy of the ITT that opened the Tour of the Basque Country five years ago. Back then, Primoz Roglic powered to the first leader's jersey, covering the course in 17 minutes and 17 seconds. Brandon McNulty finished 2 seconds behind in second, with Jonas Vingegaard taking third, 18 seconds back.
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