An intense time trial to kick off the Basque week
# Thrilling Start to Itzulia Basque Country: Seixas Claims Time Trial Victory
The Itzulia Basque Country kicked off with an exhilarating individual time trial in the heart of Bilbao on Monday, setting the tone for an intense week of cycling. Paul Seixas emerged victorious from the challenging 13.8-kilometre course, while Clément Braz Afonso notably clocked the best time for Groupama-FDJ United, finishing just over a minute behind the winner.
Revisiting its 2021 precedent, the Itzulia opened once again in the regional capital, utilizing the same complex route as before. The riders faced a tough course starting with a steep 2.4-kilometer climb averaging 7%. “It was quite a versatile route,” explained team coach Anthony Bouillod. It featured a rapid downhill stretch followed by a demanding 400-meter wall at a punishing 12% gradient. Bouillod remarked on the atmospheric consistency, stating, “The weather forecast predicted little difference in wind conditions between the early and late starters. From what we felt on the ground, it was indeed quite similar throughout the afternoon.”
Rémy Rochas launched the time trials for Groupama-FDJ United at 2:49 p.m., followed shortly after by his compatriot Maxime Decomble. With their sights set on minimizing time losses, Bouillod reflected on the team’s strategy: “We have a well-balanced team but without a true time-trial specialist, except for Maxime. He started quite well, but unfortunately he crashed on a fast section, which reduced our ambitions for the stage classification. The crash looked quite serious, but he seems to have come out of it relatively well.” Despite the mishap, Decomble managed to finish, suffering only abrasions and wrist contusions.
“For the others, the main goal was to limit the losses,” Bouillod noted. He praised Guillaume’s performance, as he finished with a time gap to the winner comparable to that of 2021, even managing to reduce his deficit slightly against that year’s champion, Roglič. Bouillod also commended Clément’s impressive showing, finishing 1’05 behind Seixas and just 42 seconds away from the runner-up. Meanwhile, Kevin opted for a different approach, targeting a strong effort on the initial climb without any specific objectives for the overall time.
With the time trial concluded, the peloton is set to tackle significant climbs starting Tuesday, including the formidable ascent of San Miguel de Aralar (9.5 km at 8%), promising a week filled with suspense and excitement for both riders and fans alike.
