Itzulia Stage 3 Preview: Basauri Circuit Offers Punchy Finale as Seixas Targets Hat-Trick
Stage 3 of the Itzulia Basque Country offers a change of pace after two days of Paul Seixas domination, with a 170-kilometre circuit starting and finishing in Basauri that features the least amount of climbing in this year's race. But with 2,800 metres of elevation gain and an uphill finish inside the final kilometre, don't expect the GC riders to have an easy day — this is the Basque Country, after all.
The opening 81 kilometres unfold over rolling terrain before the peloton reaches the first of three categorised climbs at Barrerilla, a testing 5-kilometre ascent at 6.6% that should string out the bunch and begin to isolate the pure sprinters. A 10-kilometre stretch of false flat follows the summit, giving teams a chance to regroup before the decisive final hour of racing begins in earnest.
The route then descends towards two climbs that come in quick succession: the Bikotx-Gane (8km at 4.9%) and Sarasola (2km at 5.6%). Neither is steep enough to break the race apart on its own, but the cumulative fatigue from 150 kilometres of Basque roads and the relentless gradient changes could sting the legs of anyone not at their best. The final run-in back to Basauri features several uncategorised kickers before the road rises to the finish line inside the final kilometre, setting up a sprint for the punchier, more versatile riders rather than the pure speedsters.
The stage profile suggests this could be a day for an opportunistic breakaway or a powerful late attack from one of the GC contenders looking to chip into Seixas's commanding lead. Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), sitting nearly two minutes behind the 20-year-old Frenchman, will be desperate to claw back time before the queen stage on day five. Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek) are similarly positioned and need to start making inroads.
For Seixas himself, the question is whether the Decathlon CMA CGM prodigy can make it three victories in three stages. After obliterating the field in the opening time trial in Bilbao and then soloing to victory on stage 2 from Pamplona, the Frenchman has been the revelation of the spring. His nearly two-minute GC advantage looks formidable, but the real mountains of stages 5 and 6 will provide a sterner examination of his climbing credentials. A stage 3 win would be a statement of intent that even the steepest Basque gradients cannot stop him.
Mattias Skjelmose and Florian Lipowitz, sitting third and fourth on GC respectively, represent the next generation of stage race talent and will relish the punchy finish profile. Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike), fifth overall, has the explosive kick to contend for the stage win if the finale comes down to a small group sprint. The Basauri circuit may lack the towering climbs of the later stages, but it promises to be a tactical chess match in the shadows of the Basque hills.