tour of basque stage 2

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Tour of the Basque Country: Stage 2

German three-time world time-trial champion Tony Martin claimed victory on the second stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on Tuesday. The Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider broke clear in the final stages of the 155.8km ride from Ordizia to Urdazubi to finish 30 seconds ahead of Britain’s Ben Swift (Sky) and Polish teammate Michal Kwiatowski in second and third respectively.

   Former two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) maintained his lead in the overall classification, 14 seconds ahead of compatriot Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) with Kwiatowski back in third.  

RESULTS:    Stage    1. Tony Martin (GER/OPQ) 3h46min 17sec, 2. Ben Swift (ENG/SKY) at 0:30sec, 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/OPQ) same time, 4. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) s.t., 5. Paul Martens (GER/BKN) s.t., 6. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) s.t., 7. Maxim Iglinskiy (KAZ/AST) s.t., 8. Yukiya Arashiro (JPN/EUC) s.t., 9. Michael Matthews (AUS/ORI) s.t, 10. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA/ALM) s.t.    Selected    16. Alberto Contador (ESP/TIN) s.t.        Overall    1. Alberto Contador (ESP/TIN) 7hr 51min 54sec, 2. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/MOV) at 0:14sec, 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/OPQ) 0:34, 4. Damiano Cunego (ITA/LAM) 0:36, 5. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) 0:36, 6. Jean Christophe Peraud (FRA/ALM) 0:36, 7. Mikel Nieve (ESP/SKY) 0:36, 8. Yury Trofimov (RUS/KAT) 0:36, 9. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/TIN) 0:54, 10. Mikel Landa (ESP/AST) 0:54.

Photo: OPQS/Tim DeWaele Road Bike Action & AFP

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CALIFORNIA COAST CLASSIC “THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME”

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- 2024 Tour of the Basque Country Live Online Coverage Guide -

"There was a bicycle-race on, the Tour du Pays Basque, and the riders were stopping that night in San Sebastian. In the dining-room, at one side, there was a long table of bicycle-riders, eating with their trainers and managers. They were all French and Belgians, and paid close attention to their meal, but they were having a good time..... The next morning at five o'clock the race resumed with the last lap, San Sebastian-Bilbao.  The bicycle-riders drank much wine and were burned and browned by the sun. They did not take the race seriously except among themselves."

In a subsequent paragraph, the novel's main character and narrator talks about having coffee with the team manager of one of the big bicycle manufacturers:

"Bicycle road-racing was the only sport in the world, he said. Had I ever followed the Tour de France?  Only in the papers. The Tour de France was the greatest sporting event in the world. Following and organizing the road races had made him know France."

Hemingway wrote the first draft of the novel on the terrace of a left bank Paris cafe, La Closerie des Lilas.  The photo above shows the Ile Saint-Louis, a natural island on the Seine river, seen from the left bank.  I waited for a Parisian tourist riverboat to pass, providing background illumination for the nighttime shot.  It was a very cold Paris night; note the snow underneath the plastic cyclists!  In the mid 1990s, French officials dedicated an Ernest Hemingway street in Paris.  There is also an Ernest Hemingway High School in Nimes, in the south of France, which can be seen from trains to and from Montpellier. For those of you who read "The Sun Also Rises" in high school, how many of you remember mention of the Tour of the Basque Country or cycling at all? Copyright © 2010 Pete Geyer/www.cyclingfans.com

Cyclingfans.com Tour of the Basque Country Tour Tracker w/live profile, GPS tracking, gaps, etc.

Cyclingfans.com Tour of the Basque Country Tour Tracker with LIVE GPS Tracking shows you who is in a breakaway, the time gaps, how far into the stage the race is, how far to go, etc.

- Tour of the Basque Country Tour Tracker currently unavailable -

- Videos: Tour of the Basque Country Videos . (includes Itzulia Women.)

- Tracking and ticker LIVE here . (women's race)

- Expected LIVE video here .  (Eitb, geo-restricted)

- Need a VPN to access a geo-restricted feed? Try ExpressVPN .

- Live stream for the women's race will be posted here before the scheduled start time of 12:00pm CET (6:00am U.S. Eastern).

Stage 1 - Friday, May 10 Start at 9:31 CET, 3:31am ET Finish at 13:30 CET, 7:30am ET

Stage 2 - Saturday, May 11 Start at 10:45 CET, 4:45am ET Finish at 13:30 CET, 7:30am ET

Stage 3 - Sunday, May 12 Start at 10:02 CET, 4:02am ET Finish at 13:30 CET, 7:30am ET

- The 2024 Itzulia Women is being held May 10-12. Official website here . Start List here .

- This page will be updated throughout the race.

- Start List here .

- Stage and G.C. Results here .

- Stage route profiles, timetables and more info here .

- Tracking and ticker LIVE here .

- Expected LIVE video here .  (Eitb, geo-restricted) 

- Expected LIVE video here .  (Senal Colombia, geo-restricted)

- Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) won the 2023 Tour of the Basque Country.

- Soudal Quick-Step lineup for the 2024 Tour of the Basque Country:

Remco Evenepoel (BEL) Gil Gelders (BEL) James Knox (GBR) Mikel Landa (ESP) William Junior Lecerf (BEL) Pieter Serry (BEL) Louis Vervaeke (BEL) Sports directors: Davide Bramati (ITA) Klaas Lodewyck (BEL) Geert Van Bondt (BEL)

- Soudal Quick-Step sports director Klaas Lodewyck: "We have a very strong line-up for next week’s race, with Remco and Mikel, together with a couple of young guys but also some experienced helpers, so the feeling is good going into the race. Itzulia is a tough event, one of the hardest of the season, and you need to pay attention the whole time and be at your best level to fight for a top result. We are ready to give our all as we aim for the best possible GC result next Saturday."

- 2024 Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country stage schedule/times:

Stage 1 ITT - Monday, April 1 Start at 14:10 CET, 8:10am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 2 - Tuesday, April 2 Start at 13:21 CET, 7:21am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 3 - Wednesday, April 3 Start at 12:43 CET, 6:43am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 4 - Thursday, April 4 Start at 13:31 CET, 7:31am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 5 - Friday, April 5 Start at 13:06 CET, 7:06am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 6 - Saturday, April 6 Start at 13:47 CET, 7:47am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

- 2024 Tour of the Basque Country television/TV broadcasters for LIVE and On Demand streaming include Eitb, Esport3, Eurosport, Senal Colombia, Sky Sport, SuperSport,...

- The 2024 Tour of the Basque Country is being held April 1-6.

- Photos: 2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 6 Photos .

- Photos: 2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 2 Photos .

- Photos: 2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 1 Photos .

- Photos: Tour of the Basque Country Photos .

- Results: Tour of the Basque Country Results .

- For the *19th consecutive year, you can follow Tour of the Basque Country live on cyclingfans.com . *No race in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Spanish: Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco (Vuelta al País Vasco) French: Tour du Pays Basque Dutch: Ronde van het Baskenland Catalan: Volta al País Basque: Euskal Herriko Itzulia (Itzulia Basque Country)

- Welcome to our live coverage guide for the 2024 Tour of the Basque Country (Tour du Pays Basque en direct) .

2024 Itzulia Vuelta al Pais Vasco LIVE (Itzulia Basque Country) April 1-6, Spain Official Website Start List

Stage 6 starts at 1:47pm CET (7:47am U.S. Eastern)

Finish at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern)

Live video from 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern)

  Eibar weather

Tour of the Basque Country Live Coverage

Live video streaming:

Links to come as available

- more links to come -

(watch Tour of the Basque Country online) (Euskal Herriko Itzulia live, directo)

Live audio streaming:

  (--) (Listen online)

Live tickers:

Official site tracking and ticker

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- More tickers to come -

News and photos:

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2022 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 6 Profile

2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 6 Profile

2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 5 Profile

2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 4 Profile

2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 3 Profile

2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 2 Profile

2021 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 1 Profile

2019 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 6 Profile

- Sporza tracking and ticker LIVE here . ( auto-translated ) More tracking and ticker LIVE here .

- Official site tracking and ticker LIVE here .

- Expected LIVE video here .  (Eitb, geo-restricted)  - Expected LIVE video here .  (Esport3, geo-restricted) - Expected LIVE video here .  (Senal Colombia, geo-restricted) - Expected LIVE video here .  (Sky Sport, geo-restricted) - Expected LIVE video here .  (SuperSport, geo-restricted)

- Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl lineup for the 2022 Itzulia Basque Country:

Julian Alaphilippe Rémi Cavagna Dries Devenyns Remco Evenepoel James Knox Mauri Vansevenant Louis Vervaeke

- Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Klaas Lodewyck: "Itzulia is a hard event, one of the most difficult stage races of the whole season. At the same time, it’s an important step towards the Ardennes. We have a strong and motivated squad at the start of this edition, and we plan to take it day by day and see how things go in terms of general classification. We hope to have a good week and get some nice results to boost our confidence ahead of the Classics."

- Team DSM roster for the 2022 Tour of the Basque Country:

Romain Combaud (FRA)
 Mark Donovan (GBR) Leon Heinschke (GER)
 Andreas Leknessund (DEN)
 Tim Naberman (NED)
 Florian Stork (GER)
 Martijn Tusveld (NED)

- Luke Roberts, Team DSM coach: "Itzulia Basque Country will kick off with a 7.5 kilometre prologue followed by five road stages with many vertical meters on the short, steep climbs the area is renowned for. We will bring a young team to the start who are all motivated to give it a go over the week. The goal is to take steps in their development through aggressive and attacking racing, taking our chances where we can and hoping for a successful week."

- Riders on the start list in 2022 include defending champion Primoz Roglic, Julian Alaphilippe, Remco Evenepoel, Chris Harper, Sepp Kuss, Pello Bilbao, Yukiya Arashiro, Rafal Majka, Rémi Cavagna, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Geraint Thomas, Adam Yates, Emanuel Buchmann, David Gaudu, Tony Gallopin, Rigoberto Uran, Mark Padun,...

- 2022 Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country stage schedule/times:

Stage 1 ITT - Monday, April 4 Start at 14:31 CET, 8:31am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 2 - Tuesday, April 5 Start at 12:18 CET, 6:18am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 3 - Wednesday, April 6 Start at 12:57 CET, 6:57am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 4 - Thursday, April 7 Start at 12:54 CET, 6:54am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 5 - Friday, April 8 Start at 13:24 CET, 7:24am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 6 - Saturday, April 9 Start at 14:05 CET, 8:05am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

- 2022 Tour of the Basque Country television/TV broadcasters for LIVE and On Demand streaming include Eitb, Esport3, Eurosport, Senal Colombia, Sky Sport, SuperSport,...

- The 2022 Tour of the Basque Country is being held April 4-9.

- Ticker LIVE here . Sporza ticker LIVE here . ( auto-translated )

- Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) after Stage 4, where he took the overall race lead: "For sure we were aiming for the stage win without thinking too much about the leader’s jersey, but I’m obviously happy with the result today. I feel good and ready to face the last two stages. Tomorrow could be another tricky stage, while Saturday will be an epic day. We’ll do our best to defend the leaders jersey."

- Jon Izagirre (Astana) won Stage 4. Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) is new overall leader.

- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) after his Stage 3 victory: "In the morning we had gone by car to see the finish and the team manager Matxin had explained the route to me well, so I was aware of the toughness of the climb and I knew that it would be crucial to be in first position on the final crest to launch well into the final meters downhill towards the finish. This success makes me very happy because, after racing here in the Basque Country two years ago, I have always had the ambition to come back and do well : it is a very beautiful race and the enthusiasm of the fans is really amazing. There are still three days of racing, all quite hard. I’m pretty optimistic because the condition is good and the team is racing very well together."

- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) won Stage 3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) retained the overall race lead.

- Alex Aranburu (Astana) won Stage 2. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) remains overall leader.

- Jumbo-Visma sports director Frans Maassen after Stage 1: "I am proud of the team with three riders in the top four. Winning a time trial is always beautiful and definitely in such a strong field. Primoz is our leader this week, but it may be in his favour if Jonas and Tobias can remain close in the overall standings."

- Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) following his Stage 1 ITT victory: "I am very happy with this victory and with my performance today. It’s always special and beautiful when you win. It was a very good day for us. The time trial here is always tough and I like to race in the Basque Country. The course was a nice challenge with a mix of climbs, descents, fast turns and a steep wall at the end. It is a great start for us, but we will have a tough week ahead of us. The field here is really strong and the next stages are going to be very tough."

- Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) won the Stage 1 Individual Time Trial and is first leader in the general classification.

- Ticker LIVE here . ( auto-translated )

- Deceuninck-Quickstep roster for the 2021 Tour of the Basque Country:

Mattia Cattaneo (ITA) Josef Cerny (CZE) Ian Garrison (USA) Mikkel Honoré (DEN) James Knox (GBR) Pieter Serry (BEL) Mauri Vansevenant (BEL) Sports directors: Davide Bramati (ITA) Geert Van Bondt (BEL)

- Quick-Step sports director Geert Van Bondt: "Pais Vasco is one of the toughest races of the year, with steep and tough climbs that make it very hard to control. The weather is another factor which can play a big role, with the rain and wind usually having the potential to be decisive in the outcome, and it doesn’t look like this year it will be any different. Our team is a mixture of youth and experience, the riders are all motivated and will go to the start having shown a strong form in their previous races, so we’re confident we can get some nice results next week."

- Jon Izagirre (Astana) won the 2019 Tour of the Basque Country. There was no race in 2020 due to the global pandemic.

- 2021 Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country stage schedule/times:

Stage 1 ITT - Monday, April 5 Start at 13:58 CET, 7:58am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 2 - Tuesday, April 6 Start at 13:37 CET, 7:37am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 3 - Wednesday, April 7 Start at 13:18 CET, 7:18am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 4 - Thursday, April 8 Start at 12:46 CET, 6:46am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 5 - Friday, April 9 Start at 13:29 CET, 7:29am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 6 - Saturday, April 10 Start at 14:42 CET, 8:42am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

- The 2021 Tour of the Basque Country is being held April 5-10.

- Results: Schachmann wins another on stage 4 . (Cyclingnews) - Bora-Hansgrohe rider tops Pogacar in rainy crash-marred finale.

- Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) following his Stage 4 victory: "I don’t really know what to say. It’s my third win here and I’ll need some time to process this. The weather conditions were very bad today, even worse than predicted. It was relatively cold and it rained continuously. In the end, I was exhausted, but I was really motivated to win today. I was in a perfect position in the finishing straight, and was able to sprint across the line first. Tomorrow it will be a hard stage, but we will of course do our best to net a good result."

- Race leader Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) won Stage 4.

- Results: Schachmann wins stage 3 in Estibaliz . (Cyclingnews) - Bora-Hansgrohe rider extends overall lead.

- Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) following his Stage 3 victory: "I want to thank the whole team. The guys supported me, like always, very well, and this was clear to see yet again today. In the finale, the were a crash and I hope that all the riders involved are ok. In the finish, I had Gregor and Jay there with me, and they brought me into a good position. I had good legs and that allowed me to notch up the win and defend my leader’s jersey. Yesterday we had a meeting and we discussed what I could do better, and today I implemented that, and it worked. I feel good and am happy to be able to reward the hard work of my team with this win. We still have three hard stages ahead of us, and I hope that I will still have something left in the tank after today."

- Race leader Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) won Stage 3.

- News: Puncture derails Adam Yates' Basque Country plans . (Cyclingnews) - 'We will be going on the offensive' says Mitchelton-Scott leader after losing 1:12 on stage 2.

- Results: Alaphilippe wins in Gorraiz . (Cyclingnews) - Late puncture costs Adam Yates.

- Jens Zemke, Sports Director, Bora-Hansgrohe, after Stage 2: "It was a hard stage today, particularly the sectors of gravel road. They were tricky, but we were prepared for them, and rode the whole day at the front, to defend our lead in the general classification. The peloton split in the end into many groups, but four of our riders were able to get themselves into the front group. Max also took bonus seconds and with his sixth place, and Patrick’s seventh place, we can be very satisfied. The guys all did a great job today."

- Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) following Stage 2: "Congratulations to Alaphilippe. Today I didn’t really have a big chance. In the end, you needed to have enough left in the tank, and of course also the right timing. Particularly on a final climb like this, it all came down to the legs. Tomorrow we have a long stage ahead of us, and it will be a different type of race. I am sure, that it will be a challenging stage, but we will continue to do our best."

- Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep) won Stage 2.  Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) remains overall leader.

- Results: Schachmann wins stage 1 . (Cyclingnews) - Martinez is second, Kwiatkowski third.

- Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the Stage 1 Individual Time Trial and is first leader in the general classification.

- Stage 1 Individual Time Trial Start Order and Times here .

- CCC Team roster for the 2019 Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country:

Amaro Antunes (POR) Patrick Bevin (NZL) Víctor de la Parte (ESP) Alessandro De Marchi (ITA) Jonas Koch (GER) Serge Pauwels (BEL) Riccardo Zoidl (AUS) Sports Directors: Gabriele Missaglia (ITA), Marco Pinotti (ITA)

- Gabriele Missaglia (CCC Team sports director): "The goal for us at Itzulia Basque Country will be to race aggressively and go for stage wins with all of our riders, starting on stage one with Patrick Bevin and the time trial. From there, we will look to be present and active on every stage and I believe we have a team strong enough to be challenging for results all week."

- Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) won the 2018 Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country.

- 2019 Itzulia Tour of the Basque Country stage schedule/times:

Stage 1 ITT - Monday, April 8 Start at 14:15 CET, 8:15am ET Finish at 17:15 CET, 11:15am ET

Stage 2 - Tuesday, April 9 Start at 13:37 CET, 7:37am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 3 - Wednesday, April 10 Start at 12:42 CET, 6:42am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 4 - Thursday, April 11 Start at 13:24 CET, 7:24am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

Stage 5 - Friday, April 12 Start at 13:45 CET, 7:45am ET Finish at 17:29 CET, 11:29am ET

Stage 6 - Saturday, April 13 Start at 14:32 CET, 8:32am ET Finish at 17:30 CET, 11:30am ET

- The 2019 Tour of the Basque Country is being held April 8-13.

2019 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 5 Profile

2019 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 4 Profile

2019 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 3 Profile

2019 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 2 Profile

2019 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 1 Profile

2018 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 6 Profile

- News: Fraile takes out intense País Vasco stage to Eibar . (Cyclingnews) - Roglic extends race lead.

- Omar Fraile (Astana Pro Team) won Stage 5.  Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) remains overall leader heading into Saturday's final stage.

- Official site ticker LIVE here .  ( auto-translated )

- Note:   I am on the road most of the week and will be doing limited updates here.  But there will be videos post-stage here .

- Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) following Stage 5, the race's penultimate stage: "Today was a really tough stage, especially the last climb split the race once again. I was able to stay in the chasing group but I felt not really in best shape today. I am satisfied, that I managed to stay in this group and to be still sixth in the GC. Tomorrow will be the last stage, we will see what the outcome will be."

- Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) won the Stage 4 individual time trial and took over the lead on G.C.

- News: Roglic wins time trial in Lodosa . (Cyclingnews) - LottoNL-Jumbo rider takes race lead.

- News: McCarthy wins stage 3 . (Cyclingnews) - Alaphilippe continues in race lead.

- Jay McCarthy (Bora-Hansgrohe) won Stage 3.  Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) remains overall leader.

- News: Alaphilippe wins again in Bermeo . (Cyclingnews) - Quick-Step rider extends lead over Roglic.

- Race leader Julian Alaphilippe: "The stage was on from the start and the crosswinds made it even more brutal, but fortunately I have a great team around me, who set an incredible pace at the front of the bunch, keeping the attackers on a leash, and a very strong Enric, who played a big role in my victory. Unlike yesterday, I had no idea on the final, but stayed calm and confident in my legs and sprint. Despite taking some more bonus seconds and increasing my advantage in the GC, I’m not changing my goal and will continue to take it day by day."

- Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) following his win on stage 2: "It’s crazy! I was already happy with my win on stage 1 and having the yellow jersey on my shoulders, so to take another victory is just incredible. We’re on a fantastic run of success, we’re winning everywhere and seeing how the team performs only gives us more confidence. Two victories in two days and three jerseys it’s a great harvest for our squad, but we don’t want to stop here."

- Race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) won Stage 2.

- During the stage, Cyclingnews ticker LIVE here .

- News: Caruso hits parked car in final of Pais Vasco opener . (Cyclingnews) - GC aims disappear for BMC in the Basque Country.

- News: Opening stage win propels Alaphilippe into GC contention . (Cyclingnews) - First European win of 2018 for Frenchman.

- News: Alaphilippe wins opening stage . (Cyclingnews) - Quick-Step rider escapes with Roglic on final climb.

- Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) following his Stage 1 victory: "I am very happy, especially as I got sick after Milano-Sanremo and had to rest before returning to training. I was very motivated after this small setback, so I worked hard to be back at my best. The plan was to take a stage here and even though we did a recon of the final climb yesterday and on paper it suited me, I didn’t know how my legs would react following that break."

- Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) won Stage 1 and is first leader in the general classification.

- News: Izagirre brothers to lead Bahrain-Merida at Vuelta al Pais Vasco . (Cyclingnews) - Nibali on domestique duty in the Basque Country.

- News: Richie Porte back in action at Vuelta al Pais Vasco . (Cyclingnews) - Australian backs Caruso after six weeks out.

- News: Uran leads ambitions EF Education First-Drapac into Vuelta al Pais Vasco . (Cyclingnews) - Climber heavy squad aiming for overall victory in the Basque Country.

- News: Youthful Mitchelton-Scott squad for Vuelta al Pais Vasco . (Cyclingnews) - Albasini adds experience in Spanish WorldTour stage race.

-  Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) won the 2017 Tour of the Basque Country.

- The 2018 Tour of the Basque Country is being held April 2-7.

2018 Tour of the Basque Country Stage 1 Profile

• Fantasy Vuelta

PREVIEW | Vuelta a Espana 2024 stage 2 - Can Wout van Aert win first bunch sprint and take over race lead?

Stage 1 of the Vuelta a España provided a dramatic spectacle in the form of a time-trial. Now, stage 2 will give the sprinters a chance, but it won't come without a bit of climbing, heat and strong wind. We preview stage 2 of the Spanish Grand Tour where Wout van Aert will certainly be a headliner.

Stage 2 will start in the outskirts of Lisbon in the city of Cascais and finish in Ourém. A first opportunity for the sprinters but as is traditional in Portugal, there will be plenty of small climbs and likely a lot of heat making it harder for the fast men.

2024 Vuelta a Espana starts as 2023 ended, with an American in the Red Jersey! Brandon McNulty stuns with stage 1 time-trial win

2600 meters of climbing make it well, a regular sprint stage around Portugal to be quite honest. The day has right in it's first kilometers a fourth category climb which is around 5 kilometers at 5%. This will see attacks for the KOM jersey but possibly a few riders dreaming of an opportunity at the red jersey. The whole day is packed with tiny ascents and false-flat roads. In the final kilometers there will be some more climbing.

There's a 2-kilometer ascent at 7% summiting with 24 kilometers to go. Shortly after the riders crest the second fourth category ascent. There will then be some descending into Ourém but the roads are not technical, it will make it hard for a late escapee group. A bunch sprint will in any chance be the most likely scenario. Not a technical one, the final 1.5 kilometers are somewhat uphill - the hardest being at the entrance of the final kilometer. The final meters will have a 3% gradient, definitely not a regular one.

2024 Vuelta a Espana GC Update after stage 1 ITT: Brandon McNulty leads although Wout van Aert has Red Jersey in sights, Primoz Roglic best placed of overall contenders

The Weather

There will be heat, but not as much as in the coming days. This stage will be marked by the very strong northwestern wind that was also visible in the time-trial. Luckily for the riders, this will come as a headwind throughout most of the day, making a bunch sprint more likely. However, the final 25 hilly kilometers will mostly have crosswinds. At this point in time echelons are very unlikely in such roads, but it could definitely spark late attacks that can be very dangerous. A sprint would also have crosswind.

Prize Money Vuelta a Espana 2024 - Full guide to how €1.119.960 will be split between teams

The Favourites

Wout van Aert - It can't be said that van Aert will have much of a leadout, but powerhouse Edoardo Affini should be able to get him in a good position into the sprint no matter what. From the wheel of his rivals he can go for the win; and certainly the Belgian has the speed to do this. He has the red jersey in sight if he gets bonifications and he has told CyclingUpToDate that stages 2, 3 and 5 (the flattest days of the first week) are clear goals.

Kaden Groves - The Alpecin rider won the points classification last season and was the strongest sprinter. On paper, this could well happen again. The Belgian team are fully focused on his ambitions and will control the stage. The Australian can climb well and packs a very sharp sprint that doesn't have much competition in a field like this.

Mathias Vacek - Do not discard the Czech. He has been involved tremendously over this year, and has shown that exactly today. A powerhouse, sprint is not his specialty but he can definitely do it and after a hilly finale with crosswinds, he will give it a go for the bonus seconds in search of the race lead that narrowly escaped him today.

Profiles & Route Vuelta a Espana 2024 - Portugal start; 9 summit finishes; return of Cuitu Negru

We've got two strong sprinters and the rest of the field, in my opinion, far below. Pavel BIttner - double stage winner in Burgos - and Bryan Coquard may be able to contest a sprint, the others will hope for flatter (in the case of Arne Marit ) or harder days to have better chances at a victory. In the latter I include riders such as Corbyn Strong, Carlos Canal, Vito Braet, Ide Schelling, Roger Adrià and Ide Schelling who should nevertheless give it a shot this Sunday.

Attacks. Will they happen? Can they succeed? If they do a red jersey could be an extra reward, and so I do think attacks will come. Visma will deploy resources to work for a sprint, and Alpecin will too, so it will be hard to escape successfully in the final kilometers but with a few strong attacks that could happen. Riders such as Jhonatan Narváez, Mauro Schmid and Dylan Teuns can certainly attack the steep climb to form a small group that could make it to the finish.

However not only the puncheurs, but the rouleurs have a very good opportunity. The fast finale makes it hard to chase a group with good cohesion and riders. Victor Campenaerts, Stefan Küng, Oier Lazkano, Kasper Asreen and Bruno Armirail are all riders who cannot be given freedom by the sprinter teams. Racing in Portugal, do not discard the experienced Rui Costa as well.

"I wasted my opportunity today" - Disappointment for Joshua Tarling as he misses out on Red Jersey in first ever Grand Tour stage at Vuelta a Espana

Prediction 2024 Vuelta a España 2024 stage 2:

*** Wout van Aert, Kaden Groves ** Pavel Bittner * Bryan Coquard, Mathias Vacek, Corbyn Strong, Ide Schelling, Jhonatan Narváez

Pick : Wout van Aert

INTERVIEW | Victor Lafay confident Ben O'Connor & Felix Gall can fight for Vuelta a Espana podium: "We will try to go at least top 5"

Video interview | brandon mcnulty about his own ambitions after time trial victory: "for now it's just a matter of helping them and seeing where i end up", read more about:, place comments.

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• 1 VINGEGAARD Jonas (DNF #4)
• 2 KRUIJSWIJK Steven
• 3 KUSS Sepp
• 4 VAN BELLE Loe * (DNS #6)
• 5 STAUNE-MITTET Johannes *
• 6 TULETT Ben (DNS #3)
• 7 VADER Milan

• 11 EVENEPOEL Remco (DNF #4)
• 12 GELDERS Gil * (DNF #5)
• 13 KNOX James (DNF #6)
• 14 LANDA Mikel (DNF #5)
• 15 LECERF William Junior *
• 16 SERRY Pieter (DNF #6)
• 17 VERVAEKE Louis (DNF #6)

• 21 ARANBURU Alex
• 22 BARRENETXEA Jon
• 23 FORMOLO Davide
• 24 SÁNCHEZ Pelayo (DNF #5)
• 25 MÜHLBERGER Gregor
• 26 OLIVEIRA Nelson
• 27 SERRANO Gonzalo (DNF #5)

• 31 ROGLIČ Primož (DNF #4)
• 32 ADRIÀ Roger (DNF #6)
• 33 BUCHMANN Emanuel
• 34 HINDLEY Jai
• 35 JUNGELS Bob
• 36 SCHACHMANN Maximilian
• 37 SOBRERO Matteo (DNF #6)

• 41 URÁN Rigoberto
• 42 CEPEDA Jefferson Alexander
• 43 CHAVES Esteban
• 44 QUINN Sean (DNF #4)
• 45 RYAN Archie
• 46 SHAW James
• 47 BELOKI Markel *

• 51 CHAMPOUSSIN Clément
• 52 GESBERT Élie (DNF #4)
• 53 VERRE Alessandro
• 54 DELAPLACE Anthony
• 55 HUYS Laurens
• 56 OWSIAN Łukasz (DNS #4)
• 57 VAUQUELIN Kévin

• 61 HAMILTON Lucas
• 62 DE PRETTO Davide * (DNS #6)
• 63 DUNBAR Eddie
• 64 ENGELHARDT Felix (DNF #6)
• 65 PORTER Rudy
• 66 JUUL-JENSEN Christopher
• 67 SCHMID Mauro (DNF #6)

• 71 SKJELMOSE Mattias
• 72 BAGIOLI Andrea (DNF #6)
• 73 BERNARD Julien (DNF #6)
• 74 FELLINE Fabio (DNF #6)
• 75 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao
• 76 MOLLEMA Bauke
• 77 TESFATSION Natnael (DNF #4)

• 81 GAUDU David (DNS #3)
• 82 GERMANI Lorenzo *
• 83 GRÉGOIRE Romain *
• 84 PACHER Quentin
• 85 ROCHAS Rémy
• 86 RUSSO Clément (DNF #6)
• 87 THOMPSON Reuben

• 91 IZAGIRRE Ion
• 92 CHAMPION Thomas
• 93 GESCHKE Simon
• 94 IZAGIRRE Gorka (DNF #6)
• 95 LASTRA Jonathan (DNF #4)
• 96 OLDANI Stefano (DNS #4)
• 97 WOOD Harrison

• 101 AYUSO Juan *
• 102 ARRIETA Igor *
• 103 BAX Sjoerd
• 104 DEL TORO Isaac *
• 105 MCNULTY Brandon
• 106 SOLER Marc
• 107 VINE Jay (DNF #4)

• 111 BILBAO Pello
• 112 ARASHIRO Yukiya (DNF #6)
• 113 ARNDT Nikias (DNF #6)
• 114 BUITRAGO Santiago
• 115 PRICE-PEJTERSEN Johan (DNF #5)
• 116 SÜTTERLIN Jasha
• 117 ZAMBANINI Edoardo

• 121 MEINTJES Louis
• 122 BRAET Vito (DNS #6)
• 123 FAURE PROST Alexy *
• 124 PAQUOT Tom (DNF #6)
• 125 COLLEONI Kevin
• 126 ROTA Lorenzo (DNF #6)
• 127 TAARAMÄE Rein

• 131 BATTISTELLA Samuele (DNF #6)
• 132 BRUSSENSKIY Gleb (DNF #2)
• 133 CHZHAN Igor (DNF #6)
• 134 GAROFOLI Gianmarco *
• 135 LÓPEZ Harold Martín
• 136 SCHELLING Ide (DNS #4)
• 137 KUZMIN Anton (DNF #6)

• 141 BURGAUDEAU Mathieu
• 142 CRAS Steff (DNF #4)
• 143 DOUBEY Fabien
• 144 JEGAT Jordan
• 145 JOUSSEAUME Alan
• 146 GRELLIER Fabien
• 147 VUILLERMOZ Alexis

• 151 BARGUIL Warren
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• 153 LEEMREIZE Gijs
• 154 LEIJNSE Enzo
• 155 ONLEY Oscar *
• 156 TUSVELD Martijn
• 157 LIEPIŅŠ Emīls (DNS #5)

• 161 RODRÍGUEZ Carlos
• 162 CASTROVIEJO Jonathan
• 163 FRAILE Omar (DNF #4)
• 164 HAYTER Ethan
• 165 KWIATKOWSKI Michał (DNF #6)
• 166 PIDCOCK Thomas (DNS #1)
• 167 RIVERA Brandon Smith

• 171 MARTÍN Gotzon
• 172 MINTEGI Iker *
• 173 DE LA PARTE Víctor
• 174 BERASATEGI Xabier
• 175 JUARISTI Txomin
• 176 FOUCHÉ James
• 177 AZPARREN Enekoitz *

• 181 GALL Felix (DNF #6)
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• 184 HÄNNINEN Jaakko
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• 211 AULAR Orluis
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• 232 BADILATTI Matteo (DNF #6)
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Vingegaard victorious in Poland where it all began

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Aaron Judge, Juan Soto power Yankees to rout of Guardians

Aaron Judge hit two home runs, Juan Soto homered and drove in five runs and the host New York Yankees cruised to an 8-1 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.

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Team USA Recap: Brandon McNulty Wins Stage 1 of Tour of Spain; Sepp Kuss Returns With Vuelta a Burgos Victory

We recap the latest in American bike racing from the past two weeks (August 6-20)

Vuelta a Burgos: Spain

(August 5-9) – Sepp Kuss (Team Visma/Lease-a-Bike) staged a triumphant return to racing at Vuelta a Burgos, finishing 1 st overall after a two-month break to recover from injury and illness.

The five-day race through northern Spain had a rough start for Kuss, who crashed on stages 1 and 2. But he came back to win the mountainous (Queen) stage 3 and take the victory overall.

“This win means a lot to me,” Kuss said afterward. “I've had quite some setbacks this past year. Last Wednesday was already a very nice day for me with the stage win. Winning the overall classification of a multi-day stage race makes me very happy.”

Complete results here

Vuelta a España: Spain

(August 17-September 8) – Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) won the Tour of Spain’s Stage 1 time trial by two seconds to earn the red leader’s jersey on opening day. McNulty, the US Time Trial national champion, averaged 57.2kph over the 12 kilometer course, finishing in 12:35.

Through Tuesday’s Stage 4, McNulty is in 7th place overall. Three other Americans are competing at this year’s Tour: Defending champion Sepp Kuss (Team Visma/Lease a Bike), Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech), and Riley Sheehan (Israel-Premier Tech). The race ends on September 8 th in Madrid.

Tour de France Femmes: France

(August 12-18) – Fresh off earning Olympic golds medals in road race and Team Pursuit, Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) placed top-five on two stages of this year’s women’s Tour de France, eventually finishing 38 th overall at the 8-stage race. Time Trial world champion Chloe Dygert (Canyon/SRAM Racing), who earned Olympic Bronze in time trial and Team Pursuit gold, placed 2 nd on the Stage 2 time trial, but dropped out of the Tour before the final stage.

Arctic Race of Norway: Norway

(August 4-7) – Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) placed 3 rd overall and earned the white jersey for best young rider at Arctic Race of Norway, a four-stage race traversing northern Norway. He had the same results last year, placing 3 rd overall and 1 st in the youth category.

This was 23-year-old’s second top-5 stage race finish in the past week. He placed 4 th overall at the Czech Tour, which ended July 28.

Clásica de San Sebastián: Spain

(August 10) – American men swept three of the top-10 spots at Clásica de San Sebastián, the hilly, 236 kilometer one-day race through the Basque region of Spain. Kevin Vermaerke (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) placed 4 th to continue his streak of top-5 World Tour placings. Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) was 6 th and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) was 10 th .

Tour de Pologne: Poland

(August 12-18) – Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) placed 5 th overall at the week-long Tour of Poland, his second top-5 stage race placing this season. Sheffield, 22, placed 3 rd at the Tour of Austria in July.

Will Barta (Movistar) rode a consistent race to place 12 th overall.

MOUNTAIN BIKE / GRAVEL

Usa cycling downhill national series, snow summit: big bear lake, ca.

(August 16-18) –Stop number three of the USA Downhill National Series brought pros and amateurs to Snow Summit Bike Park in Big Bear Lake, CA, for a weekend of downhill MTB action.

Austin Doole y (Commencal Schwalbe, Monster Army, Ryno Power, Better Bolts) took 1 st in the elite men’s final, followed by Kenneth Pinkerton (Mondraker Factory Racing) and Nathan Kitchen (The Gravity Academy).

On the elite women’s side, Erice Van Leuven (Commencal Les Orres, Monster Army) placed 1 st in the final, followed by Aletha Ostgaard (SRAM/Fasttrack Racing/GoPro/V&R/Schwalbe) and Isabella Naughton (KHS Pro MTB Team).

Drake Parker (Outlaw Tribe/Commencal) won the junior men’s final, followed by Jack Zenoni (ZFR Team) and Braedyn Davis . Pella Ward took the junior women’s victory, followed by Teagan Heap (Pivot Factory Racing/Monster Army) and Addison Buckenberger (T3 Race Team/Monster Army).

The final race of this season’s series is September 26-29, at Killington Resort, Vermont.

Leadville Trail 100 MTB: Leadville, CO

(August 10) – Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles/SRAM) won the elite men’s race at Leadville Trail 100 MTB for the fourth time in a row, while Melisa Rollins (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) earned the elite women’s title.

Swenson crossed the line at 5:49:08, more than 15 minutes ahead of second-place finisher John Gaston (STRAFE-Specialized). Cole Paton (Giant Bicycles) was 3 rd .

Last year’s women’s winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized) was just over 7 minutes behind Rollins in 2 nd , and Michaela Thompson (Orange Seal/Specialized/Shimano) was 3 rd .

The race starts at 10,000 feet above sea level and climbs to 12,424 feet. It’s the third race in the six-race Life Time Grand Prix. Swenson leads the series overall for the men, while Gomez Villafañe sits atop the women’s leaderboard. Next up is the Chequamegon MTB Festival, September 14, in Cable, Wisconsin.

Leaderboard here

SBT GRVL: Steamboat Springs, CO

(August 18) – Keegan Swenson (Santa Cruz Bicycles/SRAM) and Lauren Stephens (Cynicsa Cycling) earned the elite men’s and women’s titles at SBT GRVL, giving Swenson his second major win in a week and third SBT GRVL win in a row.

Swenson and Stephens are the reigning US gravel national champions and both sported their Stars and Stripes jerseys at the 125-mile race, which boasts nearly 10,900 feet of elevation gain. Swenson finished the race in 5:41:10, while first-time winner and two-time runner-up Stephens finished in 6:17:17.

Torbjorn Roed (Trek Driftless) placed 2 nd behind Swenson, coming in at 5:49:46, while Alexey Vermeulen (ENVE/Factor) came in a second later to place 3 rd . Last year’s women’s winner Sofia Gomez Villafañe (Specialized) placed 2 nd , nearly 13 minutes behind Stephens, while Cecily Decker was 20 minutes back and placed 3 rd .

Masters Track National Championships: Rock Hill, SC

(August 6-11) –More than 200 Masters cyclists vied for national championship titles over four days of racing at Rock Hill Velodrome in South Carolina. Despite a rain delay/cancellations due to Tropical Storm Debby, events were rescheduled and the meet concluded with 98 athletes earning Stars and Stripes jerseys.

USA Cycling Announces 2024 Mountain Bike World Championships Team

Tour of the Basque Country 2024

Top 5 Tour of the Basque Country 2024

1. Juan Ayuso 2. Carlos Rodriguez + 0.42 3. Mattias Skjelmose + 0.43 4. Marc Soler + 1.23 5. Brandon McNulty + 1.46

Read about the entire route and the start list of the Tour of the Basque Country.

Another interesting read: records & winners Itzulia Basque Country.

Please click on the links in underneath scheme for race results/reports and in-depth information on the individual stages.

Tour of the Basque Country 2024 stages:

Tour of the basque country 2024: route, profiles, more.

Click on the images to zoom

Tour of the Basque Country 2024: Rodriguez wins thriller race, Ayuso takes GC

Tour of the Basque Country 2024: Grégoire wins sprint of decimated peloton, Skjelmose still leader

Tour of the Basque Country 2024: Meintjes wins crash-marred race, Skjelmose new leader

Tour of the Basque Country 2024 Route stage 4: Etxarri Aranatz – Legutio

Tour of the basque country 2024: sprint win hermans, roglic still leader.

Thu 22 Aug 2024

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The Spanish cycling holidays to escape tourist crowds – from a local who knows

Inspired by the vuelta a españa seek out quieter slices of the country on two wheels, with seasides, mountain villages and olive groves along the way.

As Spain’s biggest bike race rolls into town, ready for 21 stages that criss-cross some of the country ’s most stunning landscapes, you might be tempted to create your own version at a more leisurely pace.

Make like the 176 riders of La Vuelta and freewheel between white villages in Andalusia, follow striking coastal routes or wend your way through the vineyards of La Rioja.

Away from resorts and cities – whether in the mountains of Mallorca or passing by Extremadura’s pastures – you’ll lose the tourist hordes and have time and space to take in the scenery.

Basque beauty

I live in Spain – these are the crowd-free beach towns you should try

With Pyrenees Mountain climbs, wine tastings and, arguably, Spain’s best cuisine to help you refuel, this five-night Rioja to Biscay route is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the unique culture of the Basque Country. The guided tour covers between 15km and 42km a day on e-bikes, through alpine meadows, forests and vineyards, and passing by glittering lakes and colourful fishing villages.

The Slow Cyclist ’s five-night Basque: Rioja to Biscay guided tour starts from £3,495pp, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals, snacks and drinks, a support vehicle, host and two English-speaking guides.

A coastal classic

Cycle between Barcelona and Valencia, via orange groves, medieval towns and Knights Templar castles. Days in the saddle are balanced out by walking tours, beach lunches and refreshing sea swims as you wend your way south.

Along the way, you’ll spot the Arc de Berà, marking Ancient Rome’s imperial road through Hispania, and Peñiscola’s castle, which you may recognise from Game of Thrones . Your itinerary will also take in the wildlife-filled wetlands of Ebro Delta Natural Park and the forested peaks of Sierra d’Irta Natural Park.

Exodus Adventure Travels ’ eight-day guided Cycling the Mediterranean Coast in Spain is from £2,299pp, including B&B accommodation, bike hire, activities and transfers with a trip leader throughout.

Atmospheric Andalusia

The region that best represents the majesty of Spain, with Islamic architecture, whitewashed hilltop villages and flamenco rhythms, Andalusia is perfect for exploring on two wheels. On this self-guided tour from Seville to Cadiz, you’ll follow cycle tracks and country lanes that connect villages, woodland and Arab fortresses. Explore majestic Seville, sip sherry wine and catch a flamenco performance in Jerez and finish by exploring the oldest continually inhabited city in western Europe.

Headwater ’s six-night self-guided Cycling in Andalusia: Seville to Cadiz tour is from £1,579pp, including accommodation, bike hire, luggage transfers and Headwater navigation app.

Mallorcan mountains

This Balearic island is where the Team Sky and Team GB cyclists come to train among the peaks of the Tramuntana Mountains. With smooth roads and steep climbs, hairpin bends and gulp-inducing descents, it’s a playground for two-wheeling fun. Combine Tramuntana thrills with the relaxed 550km coastal route or zip through the flat interior among olive and almond groves.

Nou Dalt Muntanya in Orient is a friendly, family-run hotel with an outdoor pool, bar and restaurant. Doubles from €170/£144 per night .

A peddling pilgrimage

The Camino de Santiago – or Way of St James – dates to medieval times, when Christians made their way across Europe to the Galician city of Santiago, said to guard the remains of the apostle St James. The Way is made up of multiple routes and this self-guided tour is broken into three stages of seven days. Stage one takes you from the Pyrenees through the Basque Country to the historic city of Burgos. Stage two features the Castilian Plateau, the city of Leon and medieval Ponferrada. Then stage three crosses the O’Cebreiro Mountains into lush Galicia for Santiago de Compostela.

Follow the Camino offers self-guide seven-day stages from £728pp, including bike hire, B&B accommodation, cycling notes, luggage transfers and 24/7 customer service.

Catalan Greenways

New to cycling holidays? For a leisurely adventure and little-to-no traffic, this self-guided route through Catalonia follows country lanes and Via Verdes (Greenways), converted from disused railway lines. An easy seven-night itinerary, it runs from rural Catalonia to the Costa Brava via meadows, woodland and the medieval beauty of Girona, where you’ll enjoy an extra day to explore. Along the way, you’ll stay in farmhouses, boutique hideaways and finish at a seafront hotel for a splash in the Mediterranean Sea.

Inntravel ’s seven-night Freewheeling in Catalonia self-guided tour is from £1,365pp, including B&B accommodation, bike hire, maps and notes and luggage transfers.

Conquistadors and Paradors

Nudged up against the Portuguese border, Extremadura is home to sun-drenched pastures and olive groves. It is populated by Iberico pigs and peppered with handsome medieval cities and monuments built for returning Spanish conquistadors. This self-guided route weaves together sleepy towns, pastures and oak groves, taking in the rich birdlife of Monfrague National Park and leading you straight to the cobbled streets of Plasencia, Trujillo and Caceres. You’ll be cycling in style, with stays at magnificent Paradors – historic hotels – and a restored farmhouse along the way.

Freedom Treks ’ six-night Spain’s Conquistadors & Paradors self-guided trip is from £1,037pp including B&B accommodation, luggage transfers, maps, route information and GPS tracks, and local contact number for assistance. Bike hire is extra.

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Primoz Roglic conquers first summit finish to take Vuelta a Espana Stage 4 and claim red jersey

Updated 20/08/2024 at 18:27 GMT

Triple champion Primoz Roglic edged Belgian youngster Lennert Van Eetvelt atop the Pico Villuercas to win Stage 4 of La Vuelta a Espana and take over the red jersey. In searing heat, the Slovenian veteran proved the strongest of a select seven-man group as defending champion Sepp Kuss conceded valuable time to his former team-mate. "I’m just really happy," Roglic said.

Highlights: Roglic edges Van Eetvelt to win Stage 4 and claim red jersey

‘Confused with some shadows’ - Van Aert on ‘expensive mistake’ that cost him Stage 5 win

6 hours ago

'What a spectacular finale' - Roglic snatches Stage 4 win from Van Eetvelt

'Not actually the main objective' - Roglic praises Bora team-mates for delivering Stage 4 victory

Bruno Armirail of France and Team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Pablo Castrillo of Spain and Team Equipo Kern Pharma compete in the breakaway during Stage 4 of the La Vuelta 2024

Image credit: Getty Images

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Jonas vingegaard seals overall victory at tour de pologne.

Olav Kooij wins final stage in bunch finish in Krakow

Jonas Vingegaard sealed overall victory at the Tour de Pologne after he finished safely in the peloton stage 7 to Krakow, which was won by his Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Olav Kooij in a bunch sprint.

Kooij delivered a well-judged effort in the finishing straight to claim the stage honours ahead of Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert). In an unruly bunch finish, Kooij bided his time before coming off Thijssen’s wheel within sight of the line and holding off the fast-finishing Merlier.

It was Kooij’s second sprint win of the week and his seventh victory of a season that included a triumph in Naples on his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d’Italia.

Sunday’s flat final stage from Wieliczka to Krakow was always liable to yield a bunch sprint but that didn’t deter an enterprising group of four riders from spending the bulk of the day off the front.

Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) has caught the eye every time the road climbed this week in Poland and the Irishman opted to go on the offensive once again on Sunday despite terrain that was hardly suited to his gifts.

Ryan was joined in the break by Jack Rootkin-Gray, Rémi Cavagna (Movistar) and Marcin Budziński (Poland), and the quartet struck a decent working relationship to stay clear onto the three laps of the 5km finishing circuit around Krakow.

By then, a bunch sprint was inevitable, but Ryan and Budziński battled gamely to stay clear until midway through the final lap. From there, the sprinters’ teams took up the reins, even if no single team could control affairs.

DSM-Firmenich-PostNL had numbers in support of Casper van Uden, but he had to settle for fourth as his fellow Dutchman Kooij scorched to a clear victory.

Vingegaard had an untroubled final afternoon of racing, and the Dane was happy to play his part in helping Visma-Lease a Bike tee up a bunch finish for Kooij.

In the final overall standings, Vingegaard finished 13 seconds clear of Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) and 20 ahead of his Visma teammate Wilco Kelderman.

The Tour de Pologne is Vingegaard’s third stage race victory of the season following his triumphs at O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico earlier in the year.

Vingegaard’s season was interrupted by the serious injuries he sustained in a mass crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April, but he returned in time to win a stage and finish on the podium of the Tour de France last month.

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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

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The Five: Bubble drama, race for positioning highlight BMW Championship storylines

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The BMW Championship marks the second leg of the three-event FedExCup Playoffs, with a 50-player starting field that will be reduced to 30 players for next week’s TOUR Championship at a recently renovated East Lake.

This week’s Colorado backdrop is new to the BMW Championship but an old friend to the TOUR, as Castle Pines Golf Club previously hosted The International from 1986 to 2006, with a series of dramatic finishes including an all-timer from Steve Lowery (more on that later). The Denver-area venue, situated high above sea level, will pose unique questions to the top 50 players on the season-long FedExCup standings (who have all qualified for next year’s eight Signature Events).

It's an esteemed field and setting for the PGA TOUR’s longest-running non-major, with stakes including the race for the No. 1 spot on the FedExCup into the TOUR Championship (yet to be decided), the final week of automatic qualification for the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal, and the sure-to-be-volatile top-30 bubble.

Without further ado, here are The Five storylines to follow at the BMW Championship.

1. Chase for No. 1 seed at East Lake

Only two players have a mathematical chance to assume the No. 1 spot on the FedExCup into next week’s TOUR Championship at East Lake, but they’re the two players you might expect – Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. The two have been a class unto themselves in 2024, as Scheffler has notched six TOUR titles including the Masters and THE PLAYERS Championship, with Schauffele recording major titles at the PGA Championship and The Open Championship.

Xander Schauffele on personal motivation for individual nature of golf

Expect both players to be in the mix at Castle Pines (Schauffele finished T2 at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, with Scheffler taking solo fourth), and perhaps a game-within-the-game down the stretch.

2. Drama around top-30 bubble

The top 30 players on the FedExCup standings after the BMW Championship will advance to the TOUR Championship, maintain their hopes of the season-long FedExCup title (the Starting Strokes format assures that no player will face more than a 10-shot deficit to start the week), and likely qualify for all four major championships in 2025.

With the BMW Championship’s starting field of 50 players, it means just 60% of the field will advance to East Lake. And with quadruple FedExCup points on offer (2,000 points to the winner), it promises plenty of volatility in the standings at Castle Pines.

Despite playing through a torn labrum, Denny McCarthy finished ninth at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship to move from No. 45 to No. 30 on the FedExCup standings, and he’ll play the role of bubble boy as the BMW Championship gets underway. It’s not an unfamiliar spot for the veteran pro, who rode the bubble at last year’s BMW (contested at Olympia Fields outside Chicago) before finishing No. 33 on the FedExCup, narrowly missing his first TOUR Championship berth. McCarthy will be motivated to not let that history repeat.

Just outside the bubble are No. 31 Tommy Fleetwood (three points behind McCarthy) and No. 32 Chris Kirk (19 points behind McCarthy), with other notables needing a big week at Castle Pines including No. 36 Matt Fitzpatrick, No. 37 Will Zalatoris, No. 41 Adam Scott and No. 43 Max Homa. There’s a silver lining for those who don’t advance to East Lake – all BMW Championship qualifiers have guaranteed a spot in all 2025 Signature Events – but that won’t lessen the sting Sunday afternoon for the 20 players who finish outside the mark.

3. Late-stage Presidents Cup auditions

The BMW Championship marks the final event before this year’s Presidents Cup automatic qualifiers are finalized. The top six on each of the U.S. Team standings and International Team standings after the BMW will qualify for next month’s biennial competition at Royal Montreal. After next week’s TOUR Championship, each side will make six captain’s picks to round out the roster.

The current top six on the American side: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala. The next six are Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Max Homa, Brian Harman, Sam Burns and Akshay Bhatia – with notables outside the top 12 who might be considered including Justin Thomas, Billy Horschel and the fast-ascending Davis Thompson.

The current top six on the International side: Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An. In a wild twist, five of the next nine names on the standings are Canadian (Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes), jockeying with Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Si Woo Kim.

Each captain faces a series of questions in determining their captain’s picks, with the next two weeks allowing contenders to make their closing arguments. For U.S. Team Captain Jim Furyk, does he layer up with proven veterans in international team competition, or will he bring in a contingent of fresh faces? International Team Captain Mike Weir must figure out how Canada-heavy to layer his roster, which could make for a raucous home-field advantage at Royal Montreal, or does he dig into the stats to ensure the most in-form players will don the International kits? It will make for fascinating fodder across the next two weeks, with the Sunday drama at the BMW largely focused on the six automatic qualifiers for each side – but also with the next level of contenders building their cases.

4. Keep your calculators handy

The PGA TOUR rarely travels to significant elevation (pour one out for Chapultepec), but that will change at the BMW Championship, as Castle Pines is situated 6,200 feet above sea level and plays to 8,130 yards. The course is expected to play roughly 7,300 yards after adjustment, a more typical length on the TOUR circuit, but the elevation change will require players to answer atypical questions. Conventional wisdom suggests a ball flies 10% further at altitude, but that isn’t always exactly the case, and the adjustment range could differ based on outside factors such as distance and loft.

PGA TOUR players aren’t mathematicians by trade (aside from perhaps Corey Conners, who famously majored in actuarial mathematics at Kent State), but players and their caddies might need to keep those calculations top-of-mind as they strive to perfect their distance control at Castle Pines.

“The tough thing with elevation is it's not as consistent as sea level,” said Colorado native Wyndham Clark, who will make his first TOUR start in his home state this week. “So if you hit your 7-iron always about 185 at sea level, it constantly goes 185. Here at altitude, now let's call it 205. Well, it can go 205 one shot and then 210 the next shot and then 200 the next shot. There's a little inconsistency in the thin air and altitude depending on how high you hit it. If anyone seems to err, go long or short, it's probably because of trajectory. That's going to be the challenge. Everyone is going to have a good idea of how far they're hitting the clubs, but you can sometimes just hit one forever in Colorado.”

Patrick Cantlay on what's different about playing at elevation

Clark and his peers will embrace that challenge at Castle Pines.

5. The next Steve Lowery?

In one of the most absurd, dramatic finishes in PGA TOUR history, Steve Lowery carded an albatross and a hole-out eagle on the back nine of the 2002 International at Castle Pines – in addition to an up-and-down from a half-submerged lie in a water hazard – en route to nearly tracking down Rich Beem for the victory. (Beem finished 1 point ahead of Lowery in the Modified Stableford format; Beem proceeded to win the PGA Championship at Hazeltine two weeks later.)

Greatest final round ever? 2002 International | Rich Beem and Steve Lowery

This week’s BMW Championship will feature 72 holes of traditional stroke-play, sans Stableford, but Lowery’s story is indicative of Castle Pines’ unpredictability. It should make for dramatic theater, both atop the leaderboard and near the top-30 bubble. For potential pivotal holes, look to Lowery’s heroics for clues – he holed a wedge for eagle at the par-4 15th, then he dunked a 6-iron for albatross from 217 yards at the par-5 17th. (His water scramble came at the par-5 14th, after removing his right shoe and sock for the splash shot.)

“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Beem told Lowery afterwards.

The only caveat to Lowery’s effort – he didn’t in fact win the tournament, as his birdie effort on the 72nd hole narrowly burned the edge. This year’s potential Lowery will look to pair heroics with hardware.

Kevin Prise is an associate editor for the PGA TOUR. He is on a lifelong quest to break 80 on a course that exceeds 6,000 yards and to see the Buffalo Bills win a Super Bowl. Follow Kevin Prise on Twitter .