Itzulia Basque Country: Axel Laurance surges ahead of Igor Arrieta in two-rider sprint for stage 3 victory

Axel Laurance of Ineos Grenadiers claimed victory on stage 3 of the Itzulia Basque Country, continuing his impressive form this season with a decisive two-rider sprint finish. Laurance outsprinted Igor Arrieta of AE Team Emirates-XRG in the closing metres of the uphill finale in Basauri, securing his fourth win of the year. The pair had broken clear from a larger 16-rider escape group during the final climbs, ultimately distancing themselves from the rest of the field to contest the stage win. The stage covered 153 kilometres around Basauri, featuring three categorised climbs in the latter half: Barrerilla, Bikotx-Gane, and Sarasola. A sizeable breakaway formed early on, including notable riders such as Natnael Tesfatsion (Movistar), Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal-QuickStep), and Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ United). As the race progressed, fatigue thinned the group, with Laurance and Arrieta surging ahead over the last climb to establish a clear lead. Behind them, the peloton, led by teams including Decathlon CMA CGM and Cofidis, maintained a controlled pace but could not close the gap. Arrieta initiated the sprint from the front but was unable to sustain his effort on the final steep climb, allowing Laurance to come around him in the closing metres. Natnael Tesfatsion managed to claim third place after winning the sprint from the chasing group. Despite the breakaway’s success on the day, Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM retained the overall race lead, holding a near two-minute advantage over Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz. The stage underscored Laurance’s growing stature as a strong contender in hilly classics and stage races, while the tactical battle between the breakaway riders highlighted the strategic complexity of the Itzulia Basque Country. With several challenging stages still to come, the general classification remains open, setting the scene for an exciting remainder of the race. Teams will be looking to protect their leaders and potentially launch new attacks as the race moves towards its decisive moments.