The 2026 edition of Itzulia Women got underway today with the opening stage, a demanding 121.3-kilometre route starting and finishing in Zarautz, in the Basque Country.
The first day of racing was decided by a reduced sprint among a group of five breakaway riders, with Dutch rider Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx – Protime) taking the stage victory and moving into the overall race lead.
Behind the front group, a larger peloton crossed the line 18 seconds later. Among them was UAE Team ADQ’s Dominika Włodarczyk, who delivered a positive performance in her first race back after being forced to take a short break following illness after the Brabantse Pijl.
The Polish rider showed encouraging form throughout the day and sprinted to eighth place at the finish, a promising result considering the recent setback and a valuable sign ahead of the remaining two stages.
Itzulia Women continues over the weekend with two more challenging stages across the Basque roads, where UAE Team ADQ will look to build on today’s solid start and aim for further strong results.
(ph. Getty Sport)
