Published on : 08/02/2026
Held between Bilbao and Getxo, the Circuito Getxo featured a demanding course on the roads of the Spanish Basque Country. It was a fast-paced race, tailor-made for puncheurs, that was once again decided in the final kilometers.
The Cofidis team went on the offensive right from the start of the race. Paul Ourselin joined the day’s first breakaway, a group of eleven riders that set the pace for much of the race and forced the teams supporting the favorites to remain vigilant. As the finish approached, the pace intensified even further. Edoardo Zamperini chose to preempt the action by joining a new four-rider breakaway. This move allowed Cofidis to stay at the front of the race before the peloton caught up.
The victory was ultimately decided among some twenty riders in the streets of Getxo. On the final kilometer, which had an average gradient of nearly 5%, Alex Aranburu made an impressive comeback in the final meters, falling just short in the sprint. The Spanish rider took a strong third place.
The reaction
Gorka Gerrikagoitia: "We started out with the idea of getting someone into the breakaway. We succeeded with Paul Ourselin. Those riders were caught on the final lap. Then we saw some attacks, and Edoardo Zamperini anticipated them well by breaking away again in a small group of four riders. That was his mission today. In the end, the race came down to the top riders. We had three riders at the front: Alex Aranburu, Ion Izagirre, and Dylan Teuns. We played the Alex card. The team did a good job today, both physically and strategically, and we finished third. We missed out on the win because, in my opinion, Alex wasn’t well positioned at the end. It’s a shame because he had the legs to win."