"Today we turned everything around" - Alex Aranburu delivers emotional Basque Country win to turn around difficult week

Alex Aranburu brought Itzulia Basque Country 2026 to life on Stage 4, producing a perfectly judged finish on home roads to secure victory after a week that had not gone to plan for either himself or Cofidis.

The Spaniard emerged from a chaotic and relentlessly aggressive stage to take control in the final kilometres, holding off Tobias Johannessen in a tense uphill run to the line and delivering a result that carried far more weight than just a stage win.

The victory came in stark contrast to the frustration of the previous day, something Aranburu was quick to acknowledge. “Yesterday I was quite disappointed with myself, but today everything went well, so I’m really happy,” he told Cycling Pro Net.

While he stopped short of ranking it definitively, he made clear the significance of winning once again in the Basque Country. “It’s already my third win in the Basque Country, and all three are very special. This one is definitely one of them.”

The closing kilometres were anything but straightforward, with attacks, regrouping and a rapidly closing chase behind turning the finale into a tactical battle. Aranburu initially tried to go clear on the climb, but found himself repeatedly brought back. “On the climb, I tried to drop everyone, but Johannessen was very close. On the descent, they came back to me again.”

Rather than forcing the issue, he adjusted his approach. “I tried to go clear once more, but the gap wasn’t enough, so I decided to stay with him until almost the finish. In the end, I think I made the right decision.”

Even in the final moments, the situation remained uncertain. “I knew they were coming close, but when I saw them on the right, I didn’t think they were that near. I was controlling the gap, and in the end, I managed to hold on.”

A late move from Johannessen added another layer of complexity, but Aranburu kept his composure. “I didn’t expect it. When I saw him on the right, it surprised me. But we knew the finish, we had looked at it on Sunday, and in the end everything worked out perfectly.”

That prior knowledge of the finale ultimately proved crucial, allowing him to time his effort with precision when it mattered most.

Beyond the individual result, the win also carried significance for the wider team, which had been building towards a result. “We had a very good preparation at Teide. After San Remo, we stayed there preparing for Itzulia and the Ardennes. We knew we were going well.”

While others had already begun to show that level, Aranburu admitted it had taken him slightly longer to convert that form into a result. “Ion Izagirre was already in very good shape, and the team was getting results. For me, it took a bit longer; yesterday, I couldn’t make the break, but today we turned everything around.”

On home roads, with pressure mounting and the race hanging in the balance, Aranburu delivered when it mattered most, a victory that not only rewarded persistence but reset the narrative of Cofidis’ week in one decisive moment.