Hello and welcome to stage fꦗive ౠof the 2025 Itzulia Basque Country.

It’s the penultimate day ꦦof this year’s Itzulia Basque Country and, on brand for the race, it’s another hilly one. Though the official number of four categorised climbs is fewer than the seven the riders were up against on each of the last two stages, there are plenty of uncategorised rises in between to complicate matters.

The last of those four climbs comes about 70km from the finish, but the more decisive rise in the race could be the 5km effort at 6.4% that’s crested with jus𒁃t 15km left to ride. This might not seem at first glance as difficult as the last two days, but there could yet be GC action.

In regards to the GC race, the situation is much clearer now than it was 24 hours ago. João Almeida seized control of the race with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:his decisive victory yesterday, and no𓆏w has a 30 second lead ahead of Max Schachmann and 38 seconds on Florian Lipowitz. He and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG line-up can now afford to ride on the defensive, and ꧑it’s up to the others to attack if they want to depose him.

The riders are at the unofficial sta🐼rt in Urduña, and will make their way through the neutralised one to the real start shortly.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG at day’s presentation in Urduña. They have a very strong squad to help defend the yellow jersey, with the likes ꦡof Marc Soler, Brandon McNulty and Isaac del Toro to use as dꦑomestiques.

OFFICIAL START

And we're off!

Two riders have pulled out of the race overnight: Kim Heiduk (Ineos Grenadiers) and Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike). The latter has looked far from the man who has displayed such great form recently to win the Coppi e Barta🍷li.

6 riders have attacked.

They are: Rob🌠 Stannard, Alexander Kamp, Luic Wirtgen, Joris Delbꦇove, Bastian Tronchon and Samuele Battistella. 

An uphill ⭕secꦺtion has proven too much for Wirtgen and Delbove, who have dropped out of the lead group and back into the peloton.

The oꦐther four have now also been caught, despite gettin💞g a lead of over ten seconds. 

160KM TO GO

Archi💃e Ryan and Gianmarco Garofoli are the latest riders to have a go at getting into the break. They have a gap of about 5 secondౠs.

They’ve been joined by a handful more riders, including s♛ome potentia♔lly dangerous names in the GC race - Santiago Buitrago (15th at 2-47) and Pablo Castrillo (19th at 3-42).

These specialist climbers are using the gradients of the uncategorised rise they are currently ascending to try and go clear and es𝓡t♔ablish a lead.

However, they have been unsuccessful - the peloton has brought them 🎃back and the race is all together again.

This was the first break to form up the road, featuring Battistella, Kamp and co. It looked promising,🐻 as a strong group containing no GC threats, but was not allowed to form the day's break.

A new break has formed, with a lead of over 10 seconds, and it's another strong one - Bilbao, Healy, Armirail a🙈n🧸d Baudin.

These are all very strong riders in punchy ✅terrain, and, crucially, they are all way down on GC, at over 20 minutes. Wi🎃ll they therefore be let go by the peloton?

LAS CAMPAS

This group has taken the poinꦛts at the top of the first official climb of the day, the category three Las Campas. Healy was first to the top, followed by Armirail and Bilbao.

The lꦐeaders have been joined by Julian Alaphilippe and Warren Barguil.෴ 

150KM TO GO

It's looking for fo𒅌r this leading group of 6. They've built a lead of 45 seconds over the pelot♛on.

Whereas the other five riders are all over 20 minutes down on GC, Barguil is more of a threat🐈, in 25th at 4-52. You still would have thought that he’s far enough down for the GC teams not to feel obliged to chase him down, though.

Here’s the updated KOM standings after the first climb. Armirail wiཧll be on a mission to try and reclaim the jersey from Marc Soler:

1 Marc Soler 21 points

2 Bruno Armirail 16

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

Axel Zingle has abandoned the race.

140KM TO GO

No doubt about it now, we have our break of the day. The peloton has sat up, and al𒁏lowed the leading sextet a lead of over two minutes.

That gap continues to grow. It’s now🅷 up to 2-43▨.

Here's the b❀reak of the day, being led by Alaphilippe. 

Here were the jersey wearers at the start of the day - Almeida in yellow, Soler in polka-dots, Schachmann in green and Rolland🔴 a𓃲s best young rider.

130KM TO GO

The break's lead has plateaued at 2-30.

Bilbao’s presence in the break indicates that Bahrain-Victorious are changing their approach from yesterday. Then, they controlled the peloton for much of the day in an attempt to bring the brea🅰k back and set Santiago Buitrago up for success, only for the Colombian’s attack to come to nothing.

Buitrago had already been on the attack earlier today beforℱe Bilbao made his move, so it’s clear the team are eyeing up success from the b🧸reakaway instead this time.

120KM TO GO

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the break today will survive. The gap has already come down a lit♑tle, from 2-30 to 2-17. If there’s enough interest in the peloton, they can bring this one back, even if it is a strong group.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG are keeping things controlled at the front of 🌳the peloton, without any need to panic.

Groupama-FDJ are also pulling at the front along with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Whereas the latter are riding to protect Almeida’s yellow jersey, Grouꦏpama probably have the stage win in mind, specifically for Romain Grégoire🎉. The Frenchman was smarting after being promoted and then demoted again for the stage win two days ago, but that ride showed he is in great form and should be in contention in the event of a reduced group sprint today.

SARASOLA

The break has just 🐽reached the top of the day's second official climb, Sarasola. Armirail continued his hunt for the polka-dot jersey by riding over it first. 

Here are the new KOM rankings. Ben Healy has joined the top five h🍌aving been second to the top of the last climb.

1 Marc Soler 21 points

2 Bruno Armirail 19

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

5 Ben Healy 8

110KM TO GO

The gap between the peloton and the break has remained about the saꩲme for a while now, hovering at around 2-20.

Lidl-Trek are another team contributing to the chase. That would suggest that either Thibau Nys or Andrea Bagioli are feeling better today, having not yet shown the form this week that they did🦄 to place first and third respectively at the weekend’s GP Miguel Indurain.

The🙈 peloton, being led by UAE Te🐷am Emirates-XRG and Groupama-FDJ.

100KM TO GO

We're ❀down t🐲o 100km to go, and the work being done at the front of the peloton is enough to keep the break at about 2-20.

With two riders in the break, the onus will be on EF Education-EasyPost to make it stick. This is the kind of rolling terrain that Ben Healy loves, a🌌nd, knowing his helpless aggressive instincts, we can expect him to go for a long one at some point.

Somewhat surprisingly, Healy hasn’t actually won a race since the final stage of the ওTOur of Slovenia last June, and not at World Tour level since the Giro d’Italia the year before. For all his strength, he struggles to pick the right moment to make the race-winning move.

90KM TO GO

As t🅷hey approach the foot of the third climb of the day, the break's lead remains at 2-20.

They🅰've started the Aretxabalgane climb, which rises for 4.6km at 5.3%.

Armirail once again takes all the points at the top of the climb, with Healy this time not taking any. That makes Armirail the new vi🦩rtual King of the Mountains.

80KM TO GO

Still no change in the gap in the aftermath of that climb, which rꦗemains at 2-20.

The updated KOM standings:

1 Bruno Armirail 22 points

2 Marc Soler 21 

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

5 Ben Healy 8

Roger Adrià has had a mechanical.

Having gotten into the day’s break, this c🧸ould be a chance for Julian Alaphilippe to register a first win of the season. So far this year, the Frenchman hasn’t built upon the return to form he enjoyed in 2024, but is a master at winning from breakaways like this, and favours the punchy terrain.

ERRIGOITI

The 🎃leaders 🔜are climbing again, this time up the 4.9km Errigoiti (at 3.9%). As the last official climb of the day, it’s the last chance for Armirail to claim some more KOM points ahead of tomorrow’s finale.

Unsurprisingly, A👍rmirail is again🍨 first to the top of the climb, from Alaphilippe and Baudin.

The virtual KOM standings, which wiඣll rema🐻in the same by the end of the day barring any abandonments:

1 Bruno Armirail 25 points

2 Marc Soler 21 

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

5 Ben Healy 8

Red Bull-Bora Hansgr♋ohe have joined Lidl and UAE in leading the peloton. Could they be thinking of trying to gain some time on the ꦐGC over Almeida in the upcoming climbs?

There's been a ꦚsmall split in the peloton on the descent of the climb, but it looks set to come back together. 

60KM TO GO

The front peloton isn't easing up the pace yet, however. As a result, the gap to the leaders has dropped for the first time in a while, to below two mi👍nutes. 

Ben Healy's attacked!

He has a gap of a few seconds.

It always seemed likely that Healy would try something like this, yet this is still a very long way out - he ꦕmade his m꧋ove about 57km from the finish.

It seems the split in the peloton has been undone, as its grown in size again oܫnce more.

EF Education-EasyPost are in a strong position🧜. With Hea🍨ly up the road, Baudin can afford to sit on the group and rest without taking any turns. 

50KM TO GO

Healy has opened up a significant lead🏅 on the chasers, of 20 seconds. The peloton is still bearing down them all though, 💜at 1-45.

The pace is rapid in the peloton as they approach an uphill. This is the one that hasn't been deemed an official climb🧜, but it's hard to see why - it's a tough one, with steep double-digit gradients. 

Healy and the chase group are on the climb. Armirail has already dropped out, his mission of regaining the polka-dot jersey already accompl𒐪ished.

UAE take control of the peloton as they start the climb. It ꦍwould be a bold move for one of his GC rivals to try and make a move here.

A reminder of Almeida’s main GC rivals:

Max Schachmann (at 30 seconds)

Florian Lipowitz (at 38 seconds)

Ilan Van Wilder (at 49 seconds)

Mattias Skjelmose (at 50 seconds)

Almeida’s teammate Igor Arrieta must have gone down at some point. He’s dr𒀰opping out of the peloton, and has a tear in his shorts.

Healy♛ is flying up this climb. He's extended his lead on the chasers to almost a minute. 

PicnicPost-NL, Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe and Bahrain-Victorious are the teams best posi✨tioned alongside UAE at the front of the peloton on this climb.

Healy's now over the top and descending.

Healy's lead is now over one ꧋minute over the chasers, and two minutes over the peloton.

T🧜hat descent hasn’t lasted for long. Healy’s climbing again, up a long, draggy - and again unclassified - climb.

Ben Healy is in his element here. You wouldn't back most r꧙iders from this position to go and win the stage, but he has the sustained power to keep pushing on for the remaining 40 or so kilometres. 

Armirail has🎉ꦆ just been reabsorbed into the peloton.

40KM TO GO

Healy's ▨s🐷till growing his lead. It's now up to 1-17 on the chasers, and 2-39 on the peloton. There's a lack of urgency in the peloton - if they give him too much more of a lead, they won't be bringing him back.

An Ineos ri💦der has take🔯n over from UAE at the front of the peloton to pick up the pace.

Omar Fraile is🍷 the Ineos ri🌌der. He could be working with the aim of setting up a satge win for Axel Laurance, a rider who would be a candidate in a reduced bunch sprint.

Fraile's work has helped stop Healy's gap getting any bigger, but isn'꧒t making any inroads yet. It's still at 2-40.

Fr𒆙aile's working hard, but Healy's lead over the peloton is actually i🔯ncreasing again. It's nearing 2-50.

As a r♑esult of Healy's charge, the chasers have found thesmelves in no-man's land, nearly two minutes behind the Irishman, but still a minute ahead of the peloton.

Cofidis have n൲ow joined Ineos' Fraile in the chase. They're going to need more firepower if they're to🔯 bring back Healy.

Equ🌊ipo Kern Pharma are also at the front of the peloton with Cofi🌟dis. 

30KM TO GO

Still Healy's lead over the peloton is 2-4𝄹5. He'll have a long descent to enjoy shortly, before the big challenge - the final uphill, lasting 4.9km and averaging 6.4%.

Healy's lead has come down𒆙 a little on the first part of this descent, to 2-35.

EF’s DS h🍨as said to Healy over race radio to us🀅e the descent as a chance to recover, so the gap’s slight decreasing may be more a result of that than Healy running out of steam.

Cofidis are seriously committing to the chase. They have four riders leading the peloton, with leader Alex Aranburu - who on cu🌌rrent form could be the favourite in a bunch finish - on their wheel.

The four chasers are about to be caught by the p❀🐈eloton.

Pello Bilbao has jumped away from then to stay out a little longer,𝄹 but the other three are back in the peloton.

20KM TO GO

Healy's lead over the peloton is 2-🍬40 as th🦋ey near the foot of the climb.

Bilbao too has now been caught.

The pace is up in the🦂 peloton as they approach an intermediate sprint, with bonus seconds available.

They pass over the intermedia🧸te sprint without anybody sprint🥃ing for it.

ZALOBANTE

Healy has started the climb of Zalobante. How much of his lead remains intact by the front co💞uld determine whether or not he wins this stage.

Axel L♚aurance isn’t waiting for a ꦦsprint - he’s accelerated out of the peloton and has a lead of a few seconds.

A group of five𝓀 riders, including Mas, formed behind Laurance, and are about to catch him.

More riders fr🍒om the peloton join up to them including race leader Almeida.

Now Aranburu attacks.

Lipowitz has joined Aranburu

🍸Almeida closes the gap, ♎dragging the peloton with him.

♕Aranburu and Lipowitz attack agꦚain, but Almeida is not letting them go.

Almeida is having to cover these moves himself. H🍸i🐷s key domestique Soler has been dropped out of the peloton. 

Jordan Jegat is the latest rider to attack.

Meanw💫hile Healy's lead is holding strong, at about two minutes.&nb🍸sp;

There's lots of action in the peloton, but it's more🌜 fo𝔉r GC time than the stage win, that seems to be disappearing up ahead.

15KM TO GO

Still 2-00 for Healy.

Jegat has bee൩n brought ba🌺ck, by a peloton now being led by Almeida's teammate Del Toro.

Martin of Groupama-FDJ counter-attacks.

Now Lipowitz aꦑttacks a🌟gain. He wants to gain time over Almeida.

Healy is over th💫e top of the climb, and still leads by two minutes.

There are about 30 riders left in the peloton as they ne🔜ar the top.

Soler is back among them, 🐷and is at the front leading the group. 

Schachmann is also there, but💙 struggling🥃 more towards the back.

10KM TO GO

2-08 is Healy's lead as he enters the final 10km. Barᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚring accident, victory is surely his.

Soler stil♏l leads the peloton. He's deterring any GC attacks. Almeida looks set to survive this stage with his lead intact, barring any bonus seconds conceded in the sprint to the finishing line.

Healy's l💫ead is going up, as he descendsﷺ off the climb. It's now at 2-15.

5KM TO GO

Just 5km left to go for Ben Healy. 

Not only is Healy going to win, he's going to win by a mile. With 3.5km left, his lead 🥃is still 2-15. What a ride this has been!

He haꦕs one more climb to complete, but it's only 700 𒆙metres (at an average gradient of 6.7%).

3KM TO GO

Healy reaches the top of that rise, his lead still ♔2-15.

The peloton are on the climb n♎ow, and Laurance has attack💛ed.

He 🤡has daylight too, a gap of several seconds in no time at 🅷all.

1KM TO GO

Flamme rouge for Ben Healy.

BEN HEALY WINS

Chapeau Ben Healy, that was some ride!

The🌊re will be somไe wait until the rest of the field arrives.

Laurance is still looking good for second place, having got a ga🍸p over the peloto🐼n on the short last climb.

Laurance takes second. Now comes the sprint for th🔯ird.

Aranburu was pi꧑pped in that sprint for third by an Astana rider.

Simone Velasco was the Astana ride𓆉🍨r who won the sprint for third. 

All of the main GC men appear to have finished in the peloton, meaning the top ten remains as it🐈 was.

Here's Laurence hᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚolding off the peloton for second-place. That's still a very good result for the Frenchman, even as a first win of the season continues to elude him.

Healy's race-winning move came about 57km from the finish. He's the kind of rider that, if he can get up the rꦚoad on his oꦐwn, is very difficult to bring back.

This ride bodes very well for the Arde💃nnes Classics, where he's hoping to build upon his success in recent years, which has included a second-place at Amstel Gold and fourth-place 💎at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

Thanks for joining us today. Be sure to return again tomorrow for the grand finale of Itzulia🌊 Basque Country, where João Almeida is likely to come under serious pressure in the race for the yellow jersey over what is a very hard, hilly parcours. The stage is set for a thriller!