WorldTour
Florian Lipowitz secures second overall at Itzulia Basque Country
Lipowitz concludes a demanding week in the Basque Country with a podium result
The 2026 Itzulia Basque Country came to a close with a short but demanding final stage from Goizper-Antzuola to Bergara. Over 135 kilometres and six climbs, and in persistent rain, the final day produced a constantly changing race and a tense fight for the general classification.
For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, the outcome was a place on the final podium, with Florian Lipowitz securing second overall after a tightly contested final stage.
The stage began aggressively, with an early breakaway forming before a larger chasing group of around 30 riders established itself behind. Among them were riders targeting the general classification, including Tobias Halland Johannessen. Despite the stage’s short distance, the gap to the front grew to over four minutes.
As the race continued to unfold, the key moves among the favourites began on the climbs. On the second ascent to Gorla, attacks in the peloton prompted a response from the main contenders, with Lipowitz among those reacting and putting pressure on the race leader. Later, with around 60 kilometres remaining, a decisive selection formed on a climb, including Lipowitz, Paul Seixas and Ion Izagirre, while Primož Roglič was not part of that move and was eventually unable to return to the front group.
Florian Lipowitz on Stage 6 of Itzulia
© Getty Sport
From there, the race fragmented into multiple groups. Seixas briefly went clear alone before dropping back, while the breakaway continued to contest the stage at the front. Behind, Lipowitz remained focused on the general classification as Johannessen, present in the breakaway, posed a threat to his second place overall.
On the final climb to Asentzio, the stage was decided from the front group, where August attacked and went on to take a solo victory in Bergara. Behind, the general classification battle remained finely balanced. Johannessen fought for every second, but Lipowitz ultimately retained second place overall by a margin of just three seconds, finishing the stage alongside Seixas in the pouring rain.
After six demanding days in the Basque Country, Lipowitz’s consistency across the week secured him a podium place in the general classification, behind overall winner Paul Seixas.
A tough week comes to an end. It was a really hard stage. I’m glad that we were still able to secure second place, even if in the end it came down to just three seconds. Overall, I’m really happy with the way we rode as a team. A big thank you goes to the whole group, both riders and staff. I think we can be satisfied. Now it’s definitely time to take a few days to recover and then prepare for the next goals.
