Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page

Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. - Theodore Roosevelt

---

Les Woodland's book Tour of Flanders: The Inside Story - The rocky roads of the Ronde van Vlaanderen is available in print, Kindle eBook and audiobook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.

Current racing:

• April 8: Scheldeprijs
• April 6 - 11: Itzulia Basque Country (Tour of the Basque Country)
• April 7 - 10: Région Pays de la Loire Tour

Upcoming racing:

• April 12: Paris-Roubaix
• April 14 - 18: O Gran Camiño

Latest completed racing:

• April 5: Ronde van Vlaanderen
• April 4: GP Miguel Indurain
• April 4: NXT Classic
• April 3: Classic Adélie de Vitré
• April 1: Dwars door Vlaanderen
• March 31: Paris-Camembert
• March 23 - 29: Volta a Catalunya
• March 25 - 29: Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali
• March 29: Gent-Wevelgem

---

Vuelta al País Vasco stage two reports

We posted the report from the race organizer with the results.

Here's the report from stage winner and GC leader Paul Seixas' Team Decathlon CMA CGM:

“Winning with a lead of over a minute feels really good and rewards all the hard work we put in beforehand. Before the race started, I had marked this stage as a key one—it was the toughest of the week, and we’d planned to attack the day after the time trial. The goal was to create gaps and then manage the race over the long haul. My teammates did a great job all day; they positioned me well when it mattered. I didn’t hesitate to attack—the worst thing is being afraid to take a chance. Racing like this is what I love; it’s why I ride.” – Paul Seixas

Paul Seixas off the front with a one-minute lead with 19 km to go. Getty Sport photo

With this second victory in two days, Paul has become the youngest rider win two consecutive WorldTour races. He secured the victory with a decisive attack 26 kilometers from the finish line, which allowed him to break away and ride alone in the lead.

Key number - 1:59
That’s the gap in the overall standings between Paul Seixas and his closest rival, Primož Roglič. After just two days of racing, Paul has extended his lead in the overall standings.

Here's the Basque Country report from Primoz Roglic & Florian Lipowitz's Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe:

Stage 2 of Itzulia Basque Country unfolded into a selective day of climbing, with the race breaking apart on the ascent of San Miguel de Aralar.

The decisive move came on the Category 1 climb, where race leader Paul Seixas attacked from distance with around 6.6 kilometres to the summit. The GC group behind was unable to organise a sustained response as the gap quickly opened.
Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe were well represented among the favourites, with Florian Lipowitz particularly active on the climb. He followed the key moves and later accelerated again near the summit as the group behind began to split further.

Over the top, Lipowitz was part of the reduced chase, while Primož Roglič remained close behind. On the descent and into the final kilometres, the gap to the solo leader grew.

Florian Lipowitz racing in stage 13 of the 2025 Tour de France. Sirotti photo

The groups came back together ahead of the uphill finish, where Roglič sprinted to third place on the stage. Lipowitz crossed the line in the same group in eighth, maintaining his position among the leading GC contenders.
After two stages, Roglič sits second overall, with Lipowitz third in the general classification.

With several demanding stages still to come, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe remain well positioned heading into the remainder of the race.

Here's the Basque Country Race report from Ethan Hayter's Team Soudal Quick-Step:

The second stage of the World Tour race featured the typical Basque terrain – a demanding day in the hills featuring a tough first-category ascent, San Miguel de Aralar (9.4km, 7.8%), which more than a decade ago hosted a Vuelta finish.

On Alto de Etxauri, a breakaway took shape, and Ethan Hayter was there for Soudal Quick-Step. The group increased their advantage over the peloton on this first hurdle of the day and by the time they entered the last 100 kilometers, they had a healthy lead. A stage winner here a couple of years ago, Ethan was prominent in the group, helping it survive until the slopes of the penultimate climb while also making the day of a young fan by gifting him a team bottle.

Ethan Hayter earlier this year at the Tirreno-Adriatico. Sirotti photo

Around 25 kilometers from the finish, Hayter’s time at the front came to an end after yellow jersey Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) attacked on San Miguel de Aralar, soloing to victory in Cuevas de Mendukilo, where the stage concluded.

Inside the final ten kilometers, on a downhill section, Mikel Landa crashed. The Basque, runner-up on two occasions at his home race, got back on his back and arrived at the finish. Mikel will undergo further examinations later with an update to follow.

Here's the Itzulia Basque Country stage two report from Ben Tulett's Team Visma | Lease a Bike:

In the second stage of the Basque stage race, the peloton faced a considerable amount of climbing. Bruno Armirail saw his chance and launched an attack with six fellow escapees. The breakaway group built up a maximum three minute-lead, but on the gruelling San Miguel de Aralar, the peloton quickly closed the gap.

Paul Seixas, the winner of the first stage, attacked early on and reeled in the breakaway riders one by one. Ben Tulett set his own pace and managed to hold his own in the chasing group. After a 164-kilometre race, he crossed the line in fifth place. In the general classification, he moved up from fourteenth to fifth place.

Ben Tulett on the podium of the 2025 Coppi Bartali road race. Sirotti photo

"I’m pleased with this result. It gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the week", says Tulett. "The pace was high right from the start and the intensity increased as the day went on. My teammates got me into a good position at the foot of San Miguel de Aralar and from there it was a case of pedalling as hard as possible up the climb. It was a great battle with the other GC contenders and I’m looking forward to the coming days."

"Ben did really well today", sports director Frans Maassen continues. "We were hopeful that he could keep up with the best, but you still have to prove it. We know there are still a few tough days ahead, but this gives us hope for a good classification. The aim is for Ben to finish in the top ten, and anything better than that is a bonus."

And here's the Tour of the Basque Country stage two report from second-place Mattias Skjelmose's Team Lidl-Trek:

The Team delivered a strong collective performance on stage 2 of the Tour of the Basque Country, with Mattias Skjelmose finishing second after a selective summit finish at Cuevas de Mendukilo.

On a demanding 164km stage packed with climbing, an early breakaway set the tone before the peloton gradually increased the pressure across the rolling Basque terrain. The Team remained well positioned throughout the day, riding attentively to protect Skjelmose and guide him into the decisive final climbs.

As the race approached the summit finish on San Miguel de Aralar, the pace intensified and the group of favourites quickly reduced. We were well represented at the front of affairs, with Quinn Simmons setting a furious tempo in the lower slopes. When Paul Seixas launched a decisive attack with around seven kilometres remaining to the summit, no rider was able to match the acceleration, with the Frenchman riding clear to take a solo victory.

Mattias Skjelmose after winning the 2025 Amstel Gold Race. Sirotti photo

Behind, Skjelmose emerged as one of the strongest among the GC contenders. The Dane responded to the accelerations in the favourites group before launching his own move on the steepest slopes, distancing several key rivals and consolidating his position near the front of the race. Mattis led the lead group home, crossing the line in second place atop Mendukilo Kobazuloa.

From our Sports Director, Kim Anderson:
"Our plan in the morning was to try get someone in the breakaway but it was clear that the other teams didn't want us in there. After that it was all about taking care of Mattias and Juan and the team did a fantastic job at that. They delivered both guys in a perfect position into the big climb, up front with Decathlon, who really wanted to make it hard. Mattias was really impressive in the final so we can be very happy with that."