Itzulia Stage 2 Preview: Pamplona to Lekunberri Promises First True Mountain Battle Between Roglič, Del Toro and Ayuso
After Primož Roglič's commanding uphill time trial victory in Bilbao on the opening day, stage 2 of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country shifts the battleground from pure power to mountain craft. Tuesday's 164.9-kilometre stage from Pamplona-Iruña to Lekunberri features 3,191 metres of total elevation gain across a relentless Navarran landscape, and it is here that the general classification contenders will get their first true opportunity to test each other on the climbs that define this race.
The stage profile is classic Itzulia: no single monster climb, but a constant succession of ascents that will grind down the peloton through accumulated fatigue. Three categorised climbs punctuate the second half of the route, with the final ascent cresting approximately 20 kilometres from the finish in Lekunberri. The run-in to the line is not flat — it rarely is in the Basque Country — but it offers enough of a descent and valley road to allow a reduced group to contest the stage win if the final climb does not produce a decisive split. It is a stage that rewards aggressive riding but can also be won by a patient tactician willing to let others burn their matches before striking late.
The GC picture entering stage 2 is clear. Roglič leads by eleven seconds over Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and seventeen seconds over Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek). Those gaps are significant but not insurmountable — the kind of margins that invite aggression rather than caution. Del Toro, who has already won the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico overall in 2026, is not a rider who waits. The 22-year-old Mexican has built his extraordinary season on attacking from distance, and the Navarran climbs offer the perfect terrain for the sort of explosive accelerations that have become his trademark. Expect UAE to try to isolate Roglič on the final ascent and force him to chase.
Ayuso's approach will be equally fascinating to watch. The Spaniard's move from UAE to Lidl-Trek over the winter was one of the most talked-about transfers of the off-season, driven by reported friction over leadership roles and race programme allocation. His head-to-head with del Toro — the man who effectively replaced him as UAE's designated GC leader for the spring — adds an irresistible narrative layer to every mountain stage. Ayuso finished third in the opening time trial, seventeen seconds behind Roglič, and will view the Pamplona stage as an opportunity to demonstrate that his climbing legs are as sharp as his time trialling. Lidl-Trek DS Lars Boom has spoken of building the team's entire Itzulia strategy around giving Ayuso maximum freedom on the climbs.
Paul Seixas, the 23-year-old Portuguese climber who finished fifth in the opening TT, 22 seconds back, is another rider who could animate the stage. Seixas's strengths lie in sustained climbing rather than explosive efforts, and the Navarran terrain suits him better than the Bilbao ramp did. If the leading trio neutralise each other on the final climb, a rider like Seixas could profit from the stalemate. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) is another outsider to watch, having shown impressive climbing form throughout the early spring.
For Visma-Lease a Bike, the task is straightforward if tactically demanding: Roglič must defend his eleven-second advantage while minimising the energy expenditure that could cost him later in the week. The veteran Slovenian has vast experience of managing stage-race GC battles in mountainous terrain, and he will be content to follow rather than lead on the climbs unless forced to respond. Visma's team strength in the mountains should provide Roglič with the protection he needs through the middle sections of the stage, but the final 30 kilometres — when the race explodes and domestiques are shed — will come down to the legs and the lungs of the leaders alone.
Weather conditions in Navarra are forecast to be cool and dry, with temperatures around 12°C and light winds — ideal racing conditions that should produce an honest, climbing-focused contest. The stage starts at 11:45 local time with an estimated finish around 16:00. It is the first of four consecutive mountain stages before Saturday's finale, and whoever emerges wearing the Itzulia leader's jersey in Lekunberri will have taken a significant step towards the Txapela trophy on the final day.