The 65th edition of Itzulia Basque Country is now in the history books with Andrew August's victory in the final stage, the Goizper-Antzuola › Bergara, and Paul Seixas's success in the general classification. The 20-year-old American from INEOS Grenadiers crossed the finish line solo, leaving Spain's Raúl García Pierna (Movistar Team) 16" behind and Frank van den Broek (Team Picnic PostNL) 34" back. Filippo Fiorelli (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Simone Velasco also performed well, completing the 135 kilometers on the schedule today and finishing fifth and seventh respectively.

In the general classification on time, the talented French rider from Decathlon CMA CGM Team takes the top step of the podium, distancing Germany's Florian Lipowitz from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe by 2'30", while Tobias Halland Johannessen from Uno-X Mobility gains positions and closes in third place with a gap of 2'33".

THE STAGE - Today's fraction, disputed in the rain, saw Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates – XRG), Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl – Trek), Juan Pedro López (Movistar Team), Ben Healy (EF Education – EasyPost) and Peter Øxenberg (INEOS Grenadiers) on the attack. These men pedaled in agreement at the head of the race, dividing the first three mountain classification points among themselves while behind them the peloton was split into several groups: in the first part Tobias Halland Johannessen was reported with his Uno X Mobility teammates while the general classification leader Seixas was reported over 4 minutes down.

During the second climb at Elosua, approximately 60 kilometers from the finish, López and Øxenberg went into difficulty and at the front remained Soler, Skjelmose and Healy. Time to register the new composition of the leading group and here came an important moment of the stage: Paul Seixas decided to increase the pace, drop his direct rival in the time classification Florian Lipowitz and launch himself in a solo chase of the first group.

31 kilometers from the finish Marc Soler slowed his pace, dropped by his breakaway companions and quickly caught by the first chasing group led by his UAE Team Emirates teammates.

At the foot of the Asentzio climb, the first chasing group nullified the attack of Skjelmose and Healy while Seixas was caught again by the Lipowitz group.

On the slopes of the final climb, Andrew August (INEOS Grenadiers) and Raúl García Pierna (Movistar Team) attacked as a pair. The American accelerated again heading into the mountain classification point where he passed with 20" advantage over the Spaniard and more margin over a group of other pursuers including van den Broek (Team Picnic PostNL), Gal Glivar (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Simone Velasco (XDS Astana Team) and Filippo Fiorelli (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) chasing.

For August, today's victory is his second of the season following the success achieved in February in the third stage of the Volta Comunitat Valenciana.

STAGE RESULTS

1 August Andrew INEOS Grenadiers 03:29:35

2 García Pierna Raúl Movistar Team 00:16

3 van den Broek Frank Team Picnic PostNL 00:34

4 Glivar Gal Alpecin-Premier Tech ,,

5 Fiorelli Filippo Team Visma | Lease a Bike 01:07

6 Verstrynge Emiel Alpecin-Premier Tech ,,

7 Velasco Simone XDS Astana Team ,,

8 Johannessen Tobias Halland Uno-X Mobility 01:09

9 Debruyne Ramses Alpecin-Premier Tech 01:26

10 Martin Guillaume Groupama - FDJ United 01:33

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1 Seixas Paul Decathlon CMA CGM Team 20:07:35

2 Lipowitz Florian Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe 02:30

3 Johannessen Tobias Halland Uno-X Mobility 02:33

4 Izagirre Ion Cofidis 03:50

5 Champoussin Clément XDS Astana Team 04:43

6 Bilbao Pello Bahrain - Victorious 05:03

7 Romo Javier Movistar Team 05:05

8 Arrieta Igor UAE Team Emirates - XRG 05:25

9 Baudin Alex EF Education - EasyPost 05:41

10 Vauquelin Kévin INEOS Grenadiers 07:33

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