Dramatic final day of Tour of Basque Country

Izagirre’s Astana team had lit up the day’s racing in an attempt to overhaul the GC lead of Bora-Hansgrohe’s Emanuel Buchmann, and the tactic paid off, with Izagirre crossing the line way ahead of the German.

However, Buchmann was denied second place, and even a spot on the podium, when he followed a camera bike and missed the final corner, losing further time to finish down in fourth overall in the final standings.

The day was animated by a highly aggressive break, with Astana playing a key role in getting the group clear. Adam Yates managed to stick with the five-man breakaway, and – as the gap increased and Izagirre’s overall victory seemed assured – took the opportunity to attack off the front inside the last four kilometres.

It was an aggressive and gutsy move, but one that paid off for Yates, who told his team after the race: