DISCUSSION | Itzulia stage 3 & Scheldeprijs 2026 - Is the Itzulia a graveyard for riders? Who came up with that finish in Belgium?

Stage three of Itzulia Basque Country delivered one of those unpredictable days where persistence from the breakaway finally paid off, but only after a relentless and chaotic opening phase that tested the entire peloton.

From the very first kilometres, the race refused to settle. Repeated attacks on the flatter roads created constant tension, stretching the bunch and causing several splits, yet none of the early moves had the strength or cohesion to stick.

It took close to 90 kilometres for a decisive breakaway to form, a reflection of both the aggressive racing and the difficulty of establishing a stable move. When it did finally go, it was a sizeable and dangerous group of 16 riders.

Among them were Axel Laurance, Igor Arrieta and Biniam Tesfatsion, alongside Ilan Van Wilder, Tobias Halland Johannessen, Lorenzo Fortunato and Guillaume Martin.

The group also featured several strong engines and climbers capable of surviving the rolling Basque terrain, making it immediately clear that this move could go all the way.

The race was not without its setbacks. Isaac del Toro, who had started the day eighth overall and still within striking distance in the general classification, saw his race come to an abrupt end after crashing with 85 kilometres to go.

His abandonment was a blow not only to his own ambitions but also to UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who had been hoping to play a role in the GC battle later in the week.

Behind the break, the peloton never fully lost control, but neither did it show real urgency. Teams like Decathlon CMA CGM, Cofidis and Tudor Pro Cycling kept a steady tempo at the front, ensuring the gap hovered at manageable levels, rarely exceeding two minutes. Still, that controlled approach would later prove costly.

As the race moved deeper into the climbs, the composition of the breakaway began to change. Fatigue set in, and the elastic started to snap. Riders were dropped one by one, particularly on the demanding slopes of Bikotx-Gane.

By the time the race reached Sarasola, the group had been significantly reduced, and it was Arrieta and Laurance who made the decisive move. The pair crested the climb with a small but crucial advantage, quickly building a gap of around 30 seconds over the remaining chasers.

What followed was a subtle but decisive shift in race dynamics. The peloton behind appeared to hesitate, perhaps expecting the chasing group to close things down.

Instead, the gap began to grow again. With 14 kilometres to go, Arrieta and Laurance had extended their advantage to over three minutes, putting them firmly in control of the stage.

Even so, the race was not over. The chasing group reorganised and began to cut into the deficit as the road tilted upwards once more in the final kilometres. By the time the leaders reached the final climb into Basauri, their once-comfortable margin had been slashed to just over a minute, and then even less.

Arrieta, riding intelligently on Laurance’s wheel, seemed to be waiting for the perfect moment. As they approached the finish, he launched his sprint from a long way out, hoping to catch his rival off guard.

For a moment, it looked like a winning move. But the effort proved just a touch too early. In the final metres, Laurance found another gear, coming around Arrieta right on the line to take a dramatic and hard-fought victory.

At Scheldeprijs, the script was more familiar, but the storylines were no less compelling. Known as one of the purest sprinters’ races on the calendar, the Belgian Classic once again built towards a high-speed finish, but not without its share of twists.

The early breakaway of six riders was allowed to go clear without much resistance. Robin Carpenter, Bram Dissel, Joost Nat, Jonah Killy, Dorđe Duric and Jelle Harteel worked together smoothly, building a modest advantage that never truly threatened the peloton. With calm weather and very little wind, conditions were ideal for the sprinters’ teams to maintain control.

As expected, the gap gradually came down. By the time the race entered its final hour, the breakaway’s advantage had been reduced to under a minute. One by one, riders began to drop away from the front group, until only a handful remained.

The decisive moment came with just under 10 kilometres to go. A crash near the front of the peloton split the bunch and caused significant disruption. Around a dozen riders went down, including Dylan Groenewegen, while many others were forced to slow or stop. In the chaos, the peloton was reduced to roughly 40 riders, effectively creating a new race for victory.

Despite the disruption, the remaining breakaway riders continued to push on. Bram Dissel showed particular determination, pressing ahead even as the peloton rapidly closed in. He was eventually caught inside the final four kilometres, just as the sprint teams began to organise themselves.

Alpecin-Premier Tech took control in the final kilometre, setting up Jasper Philipsen for what seemed like a perfect opportunity. But sprinting is rarely straightforward. As the speed ramped up, Max Walscheid launched a long-range sprint, forcing others to react earlier than planned.

When Walscheid faded, the door opened for Tim Merlier. The Soudal-Quickstep rider, who had entered the race with minimal racing in his legs after recovering from a knee injury, timed his effort to perfection. Exploding out of the wheels, he surged past his rivals with authority. Philipsen, boxed in at the crucial moment, had no chance to respond.

Merlier crossed the line first, securing a remarkable victory given his limited preparation. Pavel Bittner and Emilien Jeannière followed him home, completing the podium on a day that once again highlighted the unpredictable nature of sprint finishes.

The women’s race at Scheldeprijs offered a different rhythm but built towards a similarly explosive conclusion. Charlotte Kool finally claimed her long-awaited victory after finishing second in the previous three editions, confirming her status as one of the fastest finishers in the peloton.

The race began under bright and dry conditions, with a seven-rider breakaway forming early. Ilken Seynave, Yonna van Dam, Mari Porton, Clara Jäger, Lea Huber, Lucy Gadd and Leila Gshwentner combined well, building an advantage of around three minutes over the peloton.

Behind them, the race unfolded in a controlled manner, though not without incident. A crash at 65 kilometres to go briefly disrupted the peloton, but fortunately all riders involved were able to continue. The breakaway was eventually reeled in with around 50 kilometres remaining, as the major teams began to assert themselves at the front.

From that point on, the race was shaped by positioning and control. Lidl-Trek, SD Worx-Protime, UAE Team ADQ and AG Insurance-Soudal all contributed to keeping the pace high and discouraging further attacks. A late move from Marina Garau briefly animated the race, but she was caught before the final lap, setting the stage for a sprint finish.

The closing kilometres were tense and chaotic. The fight for position led to several crashes, gradually reducing the size of the peloton. A major incident inside the final two kilometres split the race, leaving a select group of around 20 riders to contest the victory.

In the final run-in, Fenix-Premier Tech executed their plan to perfection. Their lead-out train delivered Kool into the final 150 metres in an ideal position. From there, she did the rest. Launching her sprint with confidence, she quickly opened a gap that her rivals could not close.

Nienke Veenhoven and Elisa Balsamo gave chase but were unable to match Kool’s speed. This time, there would be no second place. Kool powered across the line to take a deserved and long-awaited victory, finally turning a sequence of near-misses into a defining win.

The Itzulia Basque Country is becoming a race capable of ending a rider’s entire season if they dare to line up at the start. Everyone still remembers what happened to Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel… and dozens of other riders.

This year alone we’ve already seen incidents involving Kévin Vauquelin, Mikel Landa, Isaac del Toro… among many, many others.

That region breathes cycling. But the roads leave a lot to be desired when it comes to hosting a race of UCI level. This has nothing to do with the speed of the riders or their experience in the peloton… it’s about the roads.

Are they narrow? Yes. Are there very dangerous corners? Yes. The fight for positioning to enter a climb well placed, or to pass through a town… where exactly do more than 100 riders fit when they’re all coming in at full speed?

I know there are similar situations in every race. Of course there are. But in the Basque Country, it’s constant. They are constantly narrow, winding, with very technical descents and often with uneven tarmac.

Since I’m talking about roads, let’s jump to Belgium. The organisers of Scheldeprijs designed a fantastic course, with a dreadful finale.

How is it possible to design a tight right-hand turn followed immediately by another left-hand turn, what I call a “corner into corner”, with around 1 km to go? Sure, you can do it, it’s not written in the regulations that you can’t. But morally, it’s unacceptable. Riders are coming in at full gas. There has to be some awareness.

Once again… where are those people who always claim to defend riders safety? Are they at home watching TV? Or do they only show up when fatal accidents happen, like those of Gino or Muriel? Have some shame. Money makes you turn a blind eye to far too much.

A transitional stage at the Itzulia Basque Country 2026 allowed Decathlon and Paul Seixas to rest. As for the winner, a lot of credit goes to Axel Laurance, who was sensational, and together with a combative Igor Arrieta they were the smartest riders of the day.

It was a wasted day for the Movistar Team, who had Natnael Tesfatsion with incredible legs but had to settle for third place, while the most important news was the withdrawal of Isaac del Toro after a crash, a bad day for the Mexican who had won the last four stage races he had taken part in, and we will see if he is ready for the Ardennes Classics.

Mikel Landa also abandoned after being hit by the medical car yesterday, and hopefully he arrives in good condition at the Giro d'Italia, his first big goal of the year, while from a Spanish perspective Juan Ayuso skipped the stage, definitively dropped out of the general classification and, we assume, will fight to win a stage on Friday or Saturday.

Tim Merlier moves into second place in the Hall of Fame - which from today he will share with Mark Cavendish and Oellibrandt - after securing his third consecutive victory at the Scheldeprijs.

Marcel Kittel, with five wins, remains the all-time record holder, but the Belgian from Soudal Quick-Step is positioning himself as the only rider capable of breaking that record in the years to come.

It is a shame that his team has already decided its lineup for Paris-Roubaix, where they will go with Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle for reasons that are not entirely clear, when they have one of the best cobbled riders available, capable of launching a sprint without his rivals even sensing his slipstream after more than 200 km of effort.

What must Patrick Lefevere be thinking.