Stage 2 of Itzulia Basque Country LIVE – Strong seven-man break formations on the first hilly course of the race.

100KM TO GO

The gap is slightly lower on this (unusual) flat section, about 1:40.

Ethan Hayter is another man who, like Armirail, is trying again after serving the shortest possible time. His form has been inconsistent over the last few years, but by entering the break today he showed he has the will to ride to win the podium.

110KM TO GO

The gap between the break and the peloton is still very similar to the descent, just under two minutes.

Armirail’s presence in the break also suggests that his Visma-Lease a Bike team is eyeing stage success rather than GC. Despite placing Ben Tulett in fourteenth place overall after yesterday’s test, they haven’t brought their big speed guns to the Basque country.

But it’s still a strong line-up, produced by Armirail, and will make them dangerous prospects these days in the hunt for platform success.

This is a strong division that the peloton has allowed to be clear, with Bruno Armirail particularly outstanding.

He is the current yellow jersey, as the top man in the GC class (by 50 seconds). Although he wasn’t at his best in yesterday’s test, he is a master at escaping, and he has the kind of tireless motor that requires a lot of effort to get him back.

Riders end up on the climb and then enjoy a long descent, before racing to the next point.

Even Paul Seixas himself sounded a little overwhelmed by how good his performance was in yesterday’s time trial. He is now the frontrunner for the overall victory, but he does not want to overestimate his chances, describing himself as a “runner” for the title.

‘I didn’t expect to win at such a speed’ – Paul Seixas’ time trial victory as he claimed his first WorldTour victory and claimed the leader’s jersey in Itzulia Basque Country.

The gradient starts now for the last 4km to the summit, from the false flat they are riding up to 5%.

120KM TO GO

As they continue to climb to the unknown peak of Puerto de Lizarraga, the gap is steady, rising for about two minutes.

Decathlon has taken on the responsibility of leading the peloton, for their leader in the yellow jersey. It’s a rare situation for the team to find themselves in, but it will become more common as they retain the services of Paul Seixas.

The type of area they are currently in is typical of the Basque Country. It’s not a steep climb, but the trail has been climbing for about 10km, and will continue to do so, with varying degrees, for another 10km.

130KM TO GO

The gap between the peloton and the breakaway has decreased slightly, to 2:15, as they climb in different directions.

Paul Seixas in yellow, safe in the peloton.

Here are the updated KOM rankings. Bou takes the lead from Seixas, who led by setting the fastest time at the top of the hat during yesterday’s test:

1 Bou 6 points

Joan Bou was the first rider to reach the summit of Alto de Etxauri, which means he leads the mountain group with 6 points. Mintegi took 4 points for being second, and Fajardo 2 points for third place.

It’s another warm, sunny day in the Basque Country, no threat of rain.

140KM TO GO

The breakaway has a healthy lead of 2:35, as it reaches the bottom of the descent.

Finally, Armirail and García Pierna reached the relegation zone. We have a new leadership team of seven.

COM – ALTO DE ETXAURI

The leaders drop after the climb, the two chasers follow by about 30 seconds, and the peloton by more than two and a half minutes.

150KM TO GO

The two chasers still have to catch the leaders, however. As they near the top of the climb, they are still 45 seconds behind.

The time gap between the peloton and the leaders is now reported to be much wider, more than two minutes. That suggests the peloton is happy to let the leaders and chasers up the road.

As a result, the leading five opportunities have also been reduced, from about 1:30 to 50 seconds.

It seems that the peloton is not too happy to leave this pair. They picked up the pace and kept them in just five seconds.

This has not been done yet. Two riders left the peloton hoping to catch the leaders, and it’s a strong team – Bruno Armirail and Raúl García Pierna.

Pedestrians walk the streets of Pamplona at first, more famous for its roaming bulls than the groups of cyclists.

Fajardo made the intersection. As the peloton seems to be happy with the crew, they don’t have to ride this grass too hard.

The break time is increasing before the climb, up to 1:20. Fajardo is still chasing, with 10 seconds to spare.

By the time they started climbing, the leading four had already built up a huge lead, of almost a minute. Unless many riders want to use the climb to get in during the break, this could be a day break made.

Adrián Fajardo chases the quartet and tries to join them.

Four young riders attacked – Hayter, Van den Broeck, Mintegi and Bou.

The stage starts with a wide area of ​​several kilometers, but soon they will be climbing the second stage of Alto de Etxauri (6.6km at 6.6%). That will shape the type of riders who will be able to get into the break today – simply put, they have to know how to climb.

four riders have already attacked, but all are driven back.

THE BEGINNING THE END

And they are gone!

Paul Seixas in the yellow jersey this morning before kick-off.

Riders are walking through a rough section in Pamplona. Before long they will see the flag.

To find out everything that happened on yesterday’s stage, read our full race report.

Basque Country Itzulia: Paul Seixas powers to win time trial opener and claim leader’s jersey.

Therefore, there will be no time for Paul Seixas to enjoy an easy day on his first day wearing the overall leader’s jersey. Although he was impressive in yesterday’s time trial, this will be a new test for him as he learns more about racing at World Tour level.

An average of 7.8% for 9.4km, San Miguel de Aralar is really hard enough to cause time gaps, even if there is some distance between its peak until the end of Lekunberri.

The final climb will be San Miguel de Aralar, less than 20km from the finish. It is new in the Basque Country of Itzulia, but appeared in the Vuelta a España in 2020, when Marc Soler attacked from a small group of favorites who were down to win alone.

This second round of the Basque Country of Itzulia is not an easy transition to ease the riders back to road racing after yesterday’s season opener. Instead, this is a tough day in the Basque hills, with the first group going up to the finish that will draw the GC contenders into battle.

Hello and welcome to the second stage of the Basque Country of Itzulia!