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Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) secures his third and final GP Miguel Indurain victory. The Basque rider proves dominant in the last year of his professional career. With 29 kilometers remaining, Izagirre follows an attack on the hilly final lap, joining Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and Markel Beloki (EF Education-Easypost).
On the steep final climb, Izagirre makes his move, breaking away with just over one kilometer to go. He holds off the competition to celebrate in front of enthusiastic home fans. Simmons finishes strong for second place, while Beloki gets caught before the finish line. Teammate Alex Baudin sprints in for third.
The 203.9-kilometer race features an early five-man breakaway. Carlos García Pierna and Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH), Unai Aznar (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Rafael Durães (Efapel), and Louis Ferreira (Anicolor/Campicarn) initially gain a five-minute lead. The peloton intensifies the chase, reducing the gap to under a minute with 65 kilometers left.
As breakaway efforts falter, Fernández finally relinquishes his lead on the Alto de Lezáun, with 50 kilometers to go, setting the stage for Izagirre’s spectacular finish.
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