Axel Laurance won stage 3 of Itzulia Basque Country 2026 with a well-timed uphill sprint in Basauri, beating Igor Arrieta after the pair broke clear on the final climb of the day. Natnael Tesfatsion won the sprint for third from the reduced group behind, while Paul Seixas once again came through the stage strongly enough to strengthen his hold on the overall lead.
Laurance finishes off a decisive late move
Stage 3 covered 156.3km around Basauri and looked tricky from the start rather than brutally selective. The route featured three categorised climbs – Barrerilla, Bikotx-Gane and Sarasola – before a rolling run-in and an uphill finish that left the door open for a late attack.
That proved to be the decisive script. A large breakaway formed after a lively opening phase, with the race becoming more fractured as the kilometres wore on. On the final categorised climb, Laurance and Arrieta forced clear and quickly opened a useful gap over the riders behind.
The move stuck. Although the chasing group managed to cut into their advantage on the run to Basauri, the two leaders had just enough left to fight for the stage win between themselves. Arrieta launched first on the uphill finish, but Laurance had the sharper final kick and came around him in the closing metres to take the victory.
It was a smart and composed finish from the Ineos Grenadiers rider, who judged both the move and the sprint well. In a stage that could easily have come back together, he committed at the right moment and then still had enough left to finish the job.
Seixas gives away little and gains even more
While Laurance took the stage, Paul Seixas still had every reason to be satisfied with the day. The race leader did not make the winning move, but he stayed close enough to the main contenders and avoided the kind of losses that might have reopened the general classification.
Instead, he came through the stage in eighth place and extended his overall lead again. After three stages, Seixas now leads Primož Roglič by 2:19, with Florian Lipowitz a further nine seconds back in third.
That is a commanding position at this point in the race. Seixas had already won the opening time trial and then backed it up with victory on stage 2. Stage 3 asked something different of him. It was a day to manage effort, cover danger and avoid getting caught on the wrong side of a split. He handled it well.
Del Toro abandons after crash
The other major talking point came when Isaac del Toro crashed and was forced out of the race with around 85km remaining. UAE Team Emirates-XRG later confirmed that he had suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh along with abrasions.
That was a significant blow to the race. Del Toro had started the day eighth overall and remained one of the riders with the potential to shape the general classification over the remaining stages. Arrieta still salvaged a strong result for UAE with second on the stage, but Del Toro’s exit removed another serious name from the GC picture.
What stage 3 means for the race
Laurance took the headline result, but Seixas again emerged from the day in a stronger overall position. That has been the pattern of this Itzulia so far. He has not only been the fastest rider on key stages, he has also been the most controlled when the race has become messy.
Stage 3 looked like a day where rivals might be able to apply pressure through repeated climbs and a difficult finish. Instead, Seixas came through it with his advantage intact and even larger than before. Every day that happens, his position becomes harder to challenge.
For Ineos Grenadiers, Laurance’s win was another sign of how dangerous he can be in these selective uphill finishes. He was aggressive when the race opened up and clinical when the chance came. Arrieta was close, but Laurance was stronger where it mattered most.
Itzulia Basque Country 2026 stage 3 results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
