Andrew August claimed the biggest win of his career on stage 6 of Itzulia Basque Country 2026, attacking on the final climb and holding off the chasers on the wet descent into Bergara. Behind him, Paul Seixas did exactly what he needed to do, managing the final day under pressure to secure the overall title after a tense and tactical finale.
The last stage was always likely to deliver chaos. Six categorised climbs across 135.2km, wet roads and constant changes in gradient meant the race never really settled, even after the early break formed.
Marc Soler, Ben Healy and Mattias Skjelmose were among the key names shaping the stage from distance, while a large chase group behind created an awkward tactical situation for the riders defending their GC positions. As the race broke apart, the stage win and the fight for the podium began to overlap.
The decisive attack came on the final ascent of the Alto de Asentzio. August accelerated from the foot of the climb, taking Raúl GarcÃa Pierna with him before going again to force the winning gap. Once clear, he still had to judge a wet and technical descent to perfection, but the American held his advantage all the way to the finish line.
GarcÃa Pierna took second after a strong ride of his own, while Frank van den Broek won the sprint for third ahead of Gal Glivar.
Photo Credit: GettyPaul Seixas withstands the pressure to win Itzulia
For much of the afternoon, the bigger story sat behind August. Seixas began the day with a solid overall lead, but Tobias Halland Johannessen and Uno-X Mobility turned the final stage into a serious test by getting numbers into the key chase group and forcing the yellow jersey into a defensive race.
There were moments when the pressure became real. Johannessen moved up on virtual GC, and Seixas had to respond personally rather than simply sit behind team-mates. On the climbs he was forced to ride at his own limit, and on the long run towards the final ascent he did not have much help around him.
What impressed most was how calmly he handled it. Rather than panic, Seixas measured his effort, bridged across dropped riders when needed and limited the damage. By the time the race reached the final climb, the overall victory was back under control, provided he avoided any mistakes on the descent into Bergara.
He did exactly that. Seixas crossed the line safely with the yellow jersey group and confirmed the biggest result of his young career.
Johannessen’s aggression reshapes the podium battle
Even without threatening Seixas for first overall, Johannessen was one of the riders who changed the complexion of the race. Uno-X Mobility committed heavily to the stage, filled the chase with team-mates and gave him the best possible platform to climb the standings.
That move paid off. Johannessen rode himself into the fight for second overall, putting Florian Lipowitz under real pressure on the final day. The time gaps at the finish became crucial, and while first place never truly slipped from Seixas’ grasp, the podium positions behind him remained in play until the last groups came home.
It was an ideal final-stage strategy from Uno-X. They could not realistically expect to take yellow, but they made the race difficult, forced others to react and gave Johannessen the chance to move up.
Andrew August delivers a breakthrough result
August’s stage win will stand out because of how it was taken. This was not a reduced sprint or a late opportunist move after others had stalled. He attacked on the final climb, dropped GarcÃa Pierna and then committed fully on roads where one mistake could have undone everything.
That kind of ride says plenty about his form and his confidence. It also gave the final day a winner who had to earn it in the hardest possible way, alone, under pressure and with the race still shifting behind him.
In a week that had already seen several young riders leave a strong impression, August added his own statement on the final afternoon.
Seixas completes a mature and impressive overall win
What made Seixas’ overall victory so convincing was not simply the final margin. It was the way he handled the full range of demands across the race. He climbed with the best, defended himself under pressure and came through a dangerous final stage without losing control.
Itzulia Basque Country is rarely won by accident. The terrain asks questions every day, and the final stage in particular can undo a rider who starts to hesitate. Seixas never looked unbeatable, but he consistently looked composed, and that was enough.
At 19, to win a race of this level against riders with far more experience is a major result. Doing it in the Basque Country, on such a demanding route and in such changeable conditions, made it even more impressive.
What stage 6 meant for the race
Stage 6 gave Andrew August the standout stage result, but it also confirmed the defining story of the week. Paul Seixas arrived at the final day with the race lead and left Bergara as the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country champion.
He did not need to dominate the last stage. He needed to survive it intelligently, read the race properly and make sure the pressure never became panic. That is exactly what he did.
Itzulia Basque Country 2026 stage 6 results
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Itzulia Basque Country 2026 GC results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
