As it happened: Long-range solo attack succeeds on stage five of Itzulia Basque Country

Hello and welcome to stage five of the 2025 Itzulia Basque Country.

It’s the penultimate day of this year’s Itzulia Basque Country and, on brand for the race, it’s another hilly one. Though the official number of four categorised climbs is fewer than the seven the riders were up against on each of the last two stages, there are plenty of uncategorised rises in between to complicate matters.

The last of those four climbs comes about 70km from the finish, but the more decisive rise in the race could be the 5km effort at 6.4% that’s crested with just 15km left to ride. This might not seem at first glance as difficult as the last two days, but there could yet be GC action.

In regards to the GC race, the situation is much clearer now than it was 24 hours ago. João Almeida seized control of the race with his decisive victory yesterday, and now has a 30 second lead ahead of Max Schachmann and 38 seconds on Florian Lipowitz. He and his UAE Team Emirates-XRG line-up can now afford to ride on the defensive, and it’s up to the others to attack if they want to depose him.

The riders are at the unofficial start in Urduña, and will make their way through the neutralised one to the real start shortly.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG at day’s presentation in Urduña. They have a very strong squad to help defend the yellow jersey, with the likes of Marc Soler, Brandon McNulty and Isaac del Toro to use as domestiques.

OFFICIAL START

And we're off!

Two riders have pulled out of the race overnight: Kim Heiduk (Ineos Grenadiers) and Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike). The latter has looked far from the man who has displayed such great form recently to win the Coppi e Bartali.

6 riders have attacked.

They are: Rob Stannard, Alexander Kamp, Luic Wirtgen, Joris Delbove, Bastian Tronchon and Samuele Battistella. 

An uphill section has proven too much for Wirtgen and Delbove, who have dropped out of the lead group and back into the peloton.

The other four have now also been caught, despite getting a lead of over ten seconds. 

160KM TO GO

Archie Ryan and Gianmarco Garofoli are the latest riders to have a go at getting into the break. They have a gap of about 5 seconds.

They’ve been joined by a handful more riders, including some potentially dangerous names in the GC race - Santiago Buitrago (15th at 2-47) and Pablo Castrillo (19th at 3-42).

These specialist climbers are using the gradients of the uncategorised rise they are currently ascending to try and go clear and establish a lead.

However, they have been unsuccessful - the peloton has brought them back and the race is all together again.

This was the first break to form up the road, featuring Battistella, Kamp and co. It looked promising, as a strong group containing no GC threats, but was not allowed to form the day's break.

A new break has formed, with a lead of over 10 seconds, and it's another strong one - Bilbao, Healy, Armirail and Baudin.

These are all very strong riders in punchy terrain, and, crucially, they are all way down on GC, at over 20 minutes. Will they therefore be let go by the peloton?

LAS CAMPAS

This group has taken the points at the top of the first official climb of the day, the category three Las Campas. Healy was first to the top, followed by Armirail and Bilbao.

The leaders have been joined by Julian Alaphilippe and Warren Barguil. 

150KM TO GO

It's looking for for this leading group of 6. They've built a lead of 45 seconds over the peloton.

Whereas the other five riders are all over 20 minutes down on GC, Barguil is more of a threat, in 25th at 4-52. You still would have thought that he’s far enough down for the GC teams not to feel obliged to chase him down, though.

Here’s the updated KOM standings after the first climb. Armirail will be on a mission to try and reclaim the jersey from Marc Soler:

1 Marc Soler 21 points

2 Bruno Armirail 16

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

Axel Zingle has abandoned the race.

140KM TO GO

No doubt about it now, we have our break of the day. The peloton has sat up, and allowed the leading sextet a lead of over two minutes.

That gap continues to grow. It’s now up to 2-43.

Here's the break of the day, being led by Alaphilippe. 

Here were the jersey wearers at the start of the day - Almeida in yellow, Soler in polka-dots, Schachmann in green and Rolland as best young rider.

130KM TO GO

The break's lead has plateaued at 2-30.

Bilbao’s presence in the break indicates that Bahrain-Victorious are changing their approach from yesterday. Then, they controlled the peloton for much of the day in an attempt to bring the break back and set Santiago Buitrago up for success, only for the Colombian’s attack to come to nothing.

Buitrago had already been on the attack earlier today before Bilbao made his move, so it’s clear the team are eyeing up success from the breakaway instead this time.

120KM TO GO

Of course, there’s no guarantee that the break today will survive. The gap has already come down a little, from 2-30 to 2-17. If there’s enough interest in the peloton, they can bring this one back, even if it is a strong group.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG are keeping things controlled at the front of the peloton, without any need to panic.

Groupama-FDJ are also pulling at the front along with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. Whereas the latter are riding to protect Almeida’s yellow jersey, Groupama probably have the stage win in mind, specifically for Romain Grégoire. The Frenchman was smarting after being promoted and then demoted again for the stage win two days ago, but that ride showed he is in great form and should be in contention in the event of a reduced group sprint today.

SARASOLA

The break has just reached the top of the day's second official climb, Sarasola. Armirail continued his hunt for the polka-dot jersey by riding over it first. 

Here are the new KOM rankings. Ben Healy has joined the top five having been second to the top of the last climb.

1 Marc Soler 21 points

2 Bruno Armirail 19

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

5 Ben Healy 8

110KM TO GO

The gap between the peloton and the break has remained about the same for a while now, hovering at around 2-20.

Lidl-Trek are another team contributing to the chase. That would suggest that either Thibau Nys or Andrea Bagioli are feeling better today, having not yet shown the form this week that they did to place first and third respectively at the weekend’s GP Miguel Indurain.

The peloton, being led by UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Groupama-FDJ.

100KM TO GO

We're down to 100km to go, and the work being done at the front of the peloton is enough to keep the break at about 2-20.

With two riders in the break, the onus will be on EF Education-EasyPost to make it stick. This is the kind of rolling terrain that Ben Healy loves, and, knowing his helpless aggressive instincts, we can expect him to go for a long one at some point.

Somewhat surprisingly, Healy hasn’t actually won a race since the final stage of the TOur of Slovenia last June, and not at World Tour level since the Giro d’Italia the year before. For all his strength, he struggles to pick the right moment to make the race-winning move.

90KM TO GO

As they approach the foot of the third climb of the day, the break's lead remains at 2-20.

They've started the Aretxabalgane climb, which rises for 4.6km at 5.3%.

Armirail once again takes all the points at the top of the climb, with Healy this time not taking any. That makes Armirail the new virtual King of the Mountains.

80KM TO GO

Still no change in the gap in the aftermath of that climb, which remains at 2-20.

The updated KOM standings:

1 Bruno Armirail 22 points

2 Marc Soler 21 

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

5 Ben Healy 8

Roger Adrià has had a mechanical.

Having gotten into the day’s break, this could be a chance for Julian Alaphilippe to register a first win of the season. So far this year, the Frenchman hasn’t built upon the return to form he enjoyed in 2024, but is a master at winning from breakaways like this, and favours the punchy terrain.

ERRIGOITI

The leaders are climbing again, this time up the 4.9km Errigoiti (at 3.9%). As the last official climb of the day, it’s the last chance for Armirail to claim some more KOM points ahead of tomorrow’s finale.

Unsurprisingly, Armirail is again first to the top of the climb, from Alaphilippe and Baudin.

The virtual KOM standings, which will remain the same by the end of the day barring any abandonments:

1 Bruno Armirail 25 points

2 Marc Soler 21 

3 João Almeida 10

4 Enric Mas 9

5 Ben Healy 8

Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe have joined Lidl and UAE in leading the peloton. Could they be thinking of trying to gain some time on the GC over Almeida in the upcoming climbs?

There's been a small split in the peloton on the descent of the climb, but it looks set to come back together. 

60KM TO GO

The front peloton isn't easing up the pace yet, however. As a result, the gap to the leaders has dropped for the first time in a while, to below two minutes. 

Ben Healy's attacked!

He has a gap of a few seconds.

It always seemed likely that Healy would try something like this, yet this is still a very long way out - he made his move about 57km from the finish.

It seems the split in the peloton has been undone, as its grown in size again once more.

EF Education-EasyPost are in a strong position. With Healy up the road, Baudin can afford to sit on the group and rest without taking any turns. 

50KM TO GO

Healy has opened up a significant lead on the chasers, of 20 seconds. The peloton is still bearing down them all though, at 1-45.

The pace is rapid in the peloton as they approach an uphill. This is the one that hasn't been deemed an official climb, but it's hard to see why - it's a tough one, with steep double-digit gradients. 

Healy and the chase group are on the climb. Armirail has already dropped out, his mission of regaining the polka-dot jersey already accomplished.

UAE take control of the peloton as they start the climb. It would be a bold move for one of his GC rivals to try and make a move here.

A reminder of Almeida’s main GC rivals:

Max Schachmann (at 30 seconds)

Florian Lipowitz (at 38 seconds)

Ilan Van Wilder (at 49 seconds)

Mattias Skjelmose (at 50 seconds)

Almeida’s teammate Igor Arrieta must have gone down at some point. He’s dropping out of the peloton, and has a tear in his shorts.

Healy is flying up this climb. He's extended his lead on the chasers to almost a minute. 

PicnicPost-NL, Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe and Bahrain-Victorious are the teams best positioned alongside UAE at the front of the peloton on this climb.

Healy's now over the top and descending.

Healy's lead is now over one minute over the chasers, and two minutes over the peloton.

That descent hasn’t lasted for long. Healy’s climbing again, up a long, draggy - and again unclassified - climb.

Ben Healy is in his element here. You wouldn't back most riders from this position to go and win the stage, but he has the sustained power to keep pushing on for the remaining 40 or so kilometres. 

Armirail has just been reabsorbed into the peloton.

40KM TO GO

Healy's still growing his lead. It's now up to 1-17 on the chasers, and 2-39 on the peloton. There's a lack of urgency in the peloton - if they give him too much more of a lead, they won't be bringing him back.

An Ineos rider has taken over from UAE at the front of the peloton to pick up the pace.

Omar Fraile is the Ineos rider. He could be working with the aim of setting up a satge win for Axel Laurance, a rider who would be a candidate in a reduced bunch sprint.

Fraile's work has helped stop Healy's gap getting any bigger, but isn't making any inroads yet. It's still at 2-40.

Fraile's working hard, but Healy's lead over the peloton is actually increasing again. It's nearing 2-50.

As a result of Healy's charge, the chasers have found thesmelves in no-man's land, nearly two minutes behind the Irishman, but still a minute ahead of the peloton.

Cofidis have now joined Ineos' Fraile in the chase. They're going to need more firepower if they're to bring back Healy.

Equipo Kern Pharma are also at the front of the peloton with Cofidis. 

30KM TO GO

Still Healy's lead over the peloton is 2-45. He'll have a long descent to enjoy shortly, before the big challenge - the final uphill, lasting 4.9km and averaging 6.4%.

Healy's lead has come down a little on the first part of this descent, to 2-35.

EF’s DS has said to Healy over race radio to use the descent as a chance to recover, so the gap’s slight decreasing may be more a result of that than Healy running out of steam.

Cofidis are seriously committing to the chase. They have four riders leading the peloton, with leader Alex Aranburu - who on current form could be the favourite in a bunch finish - on their wheel.

The four chasers are about to be caught by the peloton.

Pello Bilbao has jumped away from then to stay out a little longer, but the other three are back in the peloton.

20KM TO GO

Healy's lead over the peloton is 2-40 as they near the foot of the climb.

Bilbao too has now been caught.

The pace is up in the peloton as they approach an intermediate sprint, with bonus seconds available.

They pass over the intermediate sprint without anybody sprinting for it.

ZALOBANTE

Healy has started the climb of Zalobante. How much of his lead remains intact by the front could determine whether or not he wins this stage.

Axel Laurance isn’t waiting for a sprint - he’s accelerated out of the peloton and has a lead of a few seconds.

A group of five riders, including Mas, formed behind Laurance, and are about to catch him.

More riders from the peloton join up to them including race leader Almeida.

Now Aranburu attacks.

Lipowitz has joined Aranburu

Almeida closes the gap, dragging the peloton with him.

Aranburu and Lipowitz attack again, but Almeida is not letting them go.

Almeida is having to cover these moves himself. His key domestique Soler has been dropped out of the peloton. 

Jordan Jegat is the latest rider to attack.

Meanwhile Healy's lead is holding strong, at about two minutes. 

There's lots of action in the peloton, but it's more for GC time than the stage win, that seems to be disappearing up ahead.

15KM TO GO

Still 2-00 for Healy.

Jegat has been brought back, by a peloton now being led by Almeida's teammate Del Toro.

Martin of Groupama-FDJ counter-attacks.

Now Lipowitz attacks again. He wants to gain time over Almeida.

Healy is over the top of the climb, and still leads by two minutes.

There are about 30 riders left in the peloton as they near the top.

Soler is back among them, and is at the front leading the group. 

Schachmann is also there, but struggling more towards the back.

10KM TO GO

2-08 is Healy's lead as he enters the final 10km. Barring accident, victory is surely his.

Soler still leads the peloton. He's deterring any GC attacks. Almeida looks set to survive this stage with his lead intact, barring any bonus seconds conceded in the sprint to the finishing line.

Healy's lead is going up, as he descends off the climb. It's now at 2-15.

5KM TO GO

Just 5km left to go for Ben Healy. 

Not only is Healy going to win, he's going to win by a mile. With 3.5km left, his lead is still 2-15. What a ride this has been!

He has one more climb to complete, but it's only 700 metres (at an average gradient of 6.7%).

3KM TO GO

Healy reaches the top of that rise, his lead still 2-15.

The peloton are on the climb now, and Laurance has attacked.

He has daylight too, a gap of several seconds in no time at all.

1KM TO GO

Flamme rouge for Ben Healy.

BEN HEALY WINS

Chapeau Ben Healy, that was some ride!

There will be some wait until the rest of the field arrives.

Laurance is still looking good for second place, having got a gap over the peloton on the short last climb.

Laurance takes second. Now comes the sprint for third.

Aranburu was pipped in that sprint for third by an Astana rider.

Simone Velasco was the Astana rider who won the sprint for third. 

All of the main GC men appear to have finished in the peloton, meaning the top ten remains as it was.

Here's Laurence holding off the peloton for second-place. That's still a very good result for the Frenchman, even as a first win of the season continues to elude him.

Healy's race-winning move came about 57km from the finish. He's the kind of rider that, if he can get up the road on his own, is very difficult to bring back.

This ride bodes very well for the Ardennes Classics, where he's hoping to build upon his success in recent years, which has included a second-place at Amstel Gold and fourth-place at Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

Thanks for joining us today. Be sure to return again tomorrow for the grand finale of Itzulia Basque Country, where João Almeida is likely to come under serious pressure in the race for the yellow jersey over what is a very hard, hilly parcours. The stage is set for a thriller!