Published on : 09/06/2026
The Italian classics campaign is underway! The team lined up for the GP Industria & Artigianato highly motivated. But one weekend is not like the next. After going on the attack before the final climb, Ion Izagirre eventually cracked on its slopes.
The team arrived in the Tuscan town of Larciano with plenty of ambition. On the start line of the Italian classic this Sunday was Alex Aranburu, full of confidence after his victory in Plouay last week. Alongside him were Ion Izagirre, Benjamin Thomas and Dylan Teuns, who had also impressed in Brittany a few days earlier. But the GP Industria & Artigianato was highly sought-after this year, with a strong field on the start list.
The day’s programme featured 196.5 kilometres around Larciano, with a tough finale made even harder by a succession of climbs. After several hilly laps, the San Baronto climb (8.2 kilometres at 3.5%) was tackled four times from halfway through the race, with the climb expected to shake up the peloton and gradually whittle down the field.
And that’s exactly what happened, as a breakaway managed to build a gap while the peloton kept things under control and gradually lost riders. Our riders remained alert near the front. The final ascent of San Baronto finally blew the favourites’ group apart. With less than 30 kilometres to go, a group of five riders went clear, including Ion Izagirre. They caught the two leaders and completely reignited the race, building a lead of around 20 seconds. The Mungherino climb (6.2 km at 6%), the final difficulty of the day, promised to be decisive.
Pidcock, the big favourite for the day, decided to make his move on the steepest sections. He quickly reeled in the riders up front. Ion Izagirre hung on and climbed at his own pace, avoiding any sudden changes of rhythm. A top-10 finish was not to be for our Basque leader, who was beginning his final Italian classics campaign today.
Benjamin Giraud’s reaction:
“The team rode a good race today and tried to race collectively. We were active in the finale, trying to anticipate the attacks, particularly with Ion (Izagirre). Unfortunately, he struggled a little on the final climb, and we finished without a significant result. What I’ll take from today is the team’s good attacking and tactical approach.”