Izagirre adds new excitement to 'Tour de Basque' with stage victory: "I can hardly believe it"

Izagirre initially appeared to sacrifice himself for team leader Guillaume Martin on the final significant climb of the day but ultimately used the tactical advantage of the French team to launch an attack. Leveraging his skills as a descender, the Basque rider quickly extended his lead, resulting in a well-deserved stage victory.

After crossing the finish line, the emotional Izagirre threw himself into the arms of the ecstatic team manager Cedric Vasseur, who himself is experiencing an incredible turn of events these days. The same sentiment applied to the day's winner. "It's unbelievable that I can win again just six days after my previous stage victory in Morzine."

"In the end, it was my attack on that final climb that made the difference and secured the win for me. I am incredibly happy about it, and I can hardly believe it. With the start in the Basque Country and Pello Bilbao's victory, it almost feels like a Basque Tour, haha! As Cofidis, we also claim the second stage win, so we can be proud of the team. It's fantastic, and we want to continue this momentum."