Itzulia Women 2026 continues on Saturday, 16th May with the longest and most climbing-heavy stage of this year’s race, as the peloton travels from Abadiño to Amorebieta-Etxano. After a selective opening day in Zarautz, stage 2 gives the general classification riders another difficult test, but in a different form: repeated climbs, awkward roads and a finale that could reward either a reduced sprint or a late attack.
Mischa Bredewold starts the day in the yellow jersey after winning stage 1 from a reduced five-rider sprint, ahead of Yara Kastelijn and Riejanne Markus. Lauren Dickson and Antonia Niedermaier also finished in the front group, while riders such as Liane Lippert, Usoa Ostolaza, Dominika Wlodarczyk and Ricarda Bauernfeind remain close enough to keep the race open.
For UK viewers, this is an early start but a useful lunchtime finish. The stage is expected to begin shortly before 09:00 UK time, with the finish expected around 12:30pm, depending on the speed of the race. The key live viewing detail is that the race is available through the usual rights-holder coverage, while EITB Kirolak 360 is also showing the race live, free and without geo-restriction.
When does Itzulia Women 2026 stage 2 start?
Stage 2 is scheduled for Saturday, 16th May.
The listed stage start is around 08:50am UK time, with the finish expected at approximately 12:30pm. As always with road racing, the exact finish time will depend on weather, race speed, breakaway composition and how hard the peloton races through the middle section.
For most UK viewers, the key viewing window should be from around 10:30am onwards. That should cover the final two hours of racing, including the later climbs, the selection over Aretxabalgane and the final approach into Amorebieta-Etxano.
How to watch Itzulia Women 2026 stage 2 in the UK
UK coverage of Itzulia Women 2026 is available through TNT Sports and HBO Max. HBO Max is the main streaming option for UK viewers following the race live across the three stages.
There is also a free live stream through EITB’s Kirolak 360 platform. EITB is producing Basque-language coverage of Itzulia Women, and the stream is available in the UK without geo-restriction. That makes it a useful free option for viewers who want live pictures without needing a subscription.
EITB Kirolak 360 live stream: https://kirolakeitb.eus/es/kirolak-360/en-directo/
Anyone planning to watch live should check the app, TV schedule or stream page on the morning of the stage, as exact live windows can shift slightly depending on the host broadcast. The stage itself starts earlier than the likely full live coverage window, so the first part of the race may already be complete by the time pictures begin.
What time should UK viewers tune in?
The most important part of the stage should begin from around 10:30am UK time. That should bring viewers into the race with enough time to see the peloton reach the more decisive climbs and start the final phase towards Amorebieta-Etxano.
Stage 2 is not a simple case of waiting for the final kilometre. The final categorised climb, Aretxabalgane, comes late enough to shape the outcome, but the race could become selective before then. Natxitua and San Pelaio both have the potential to soften the field, while the repeated Basque climbs make it difficult for any one team to keep complete control.
If the race is already split by the time live coverage begins, it will not be a surprise. Itzulia Women often rewards early aggression, and after a wet, hard opening day, some riders may decide that the best way to challenge Bredewold is to make the middle stage messy.
The stage 2 route
The second stage runs from Abadiño to Amorebieta-Etxano over 138km. It is the longest stage of the race and contains more than 2,500 metres of climbing, making it the heaviest day of the 2026 edition in terms of accumulated vertical gain.
The route includes Trabakua, Milloi, Natxitua, San Pelaio and Aretxabalgane. None of them is a huge mountain in isolation, but together they create exactly the sort of broken rhythm that makes Itzulia Women so difficult to control.
Trabakua comes early and should help shape the breakaway. Milloi keeps the road rolling before Natxitua, a short but sharper climb that could begin to expose riders who have not recovered properly from stage 1. San Pelaio then adds another sustained effort before the final categorised climb of Aretxabalgane.
Aretxabalgane is likely to be the main tactical point of the stage. It is not long enough to guarantee a pure climber’s selection, but it is hard enough to split a reduced peloton if the pace is high. From there, the run towards Amorebieta-Etxano gives chasers some room to come back, but not enough to make a late attack feel hopeless.
Why the stage matters for the general classification
Stage 3 around Donostia will still look like the natural overall decider, with Jaizkibel, Gurutze and Mendizorrotz waiting on the final day. Stage 2, though, may be harder to control because it does not have one obvious point where everything must happen.
That makes it dangerous for Bredewold and Team SD Worx-Protime. They have the race lead, but they also have to manage a route that invites attacks from several different teams. Kastelijn is close on time and races well when the situation becomes chaotic. Markus gives Lidl-Trek a strong and experienced card, while Bauernfeind offers the same team another option if they want to make the race harder before the final climb.
FDJ United-SUEZ also have a strong position after stage 1, with Lauren Dickson in the front group and Évita Muzic still a threat if the climbing becomes more selective. Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto can look to Niedermaier, while Movistar have reason to race aggressively with Lippert after she lost time on the opening day.
The GC gaps are still small enough that bonus seconds, late splits and a short hesitation in the final kilometres could all count. This is not just a stage win battle. It is also a day where the final podium could begin to take clearer shape before Donostia.
What kind of rider can win stage 2?
The stage suits a rider who can climb repeatedly, handle technical roads and still finish quickly from a reduced group. It is not an obvious bunch sprint day, but it is also not guaranteed to be won by a solo climber.
A breakaway has a realistic chance, especially if Team SD Worx-Protime decide that defending the yellow jersey is more important than chasing a second stage victory. The problem for the break is that the GC situation remains tight. Any move containing a dangerous rider will be controlled much more closely.
If the favourites contest the stage, Bredewold is again one of the strongest candidates. Her stage 1 win showed that she can survive the climbs and still sprint effectively from a reduced group. Kastelijn may prefer a harder, more aggressive race, while Markus has the profile to follow the important moves and finish strongly if a small group comes back together.
Lippert is another major threat on this terrain. The stage is lumpy, technical and punchy, which suits her far more than a controlled sprint. Niedermaier and Ostolaza may need to attack rather than wait for the line, but both are capable of turning the later climbs into something more selective.
Prediction
Stage 2 should be selective, but not necessarily decisive in the same way a summit finish would be. The repeated climbs will remove riders, the final ascent of Aretxabalgane should reduce the front group again, and the run-in to Amorebieta-Etxano will test whether teams still have enough numbers to chase.
The most likely outcome is a reduced sprint or a late move from a small favourites’ group. Bredewold has already shown the right combination of climbing resilience and finishing speed, and with the yellow jersey on her shoulders, she has the clearest route to another stage win if Team SD Worx-Protime can keep the race under control.
Prediction: Mischa Bredewold to win from a reduced group.
