Overview
- UAE confirmed Isaac del Toro as its leader for Itzulia Basque Country, which begins Monday in Bilbao and finishes Saturday after six stages.
- The 2026 route spans 809.6 km with more than 16,000 meters of climbing and includes a 13.8 km uphill individual time trial that could decide the overall.
- Del Toro arrives with victories at the UAE Tour and Tirreno–Adriatico and a podium at Strade Bianche after helping Tadej Pogačar win Milan–San Remo.
- His support squad features Igor Arrieta, Felix Großschartner, Brandon McNulty, Domen Novak, Adrià Pericas and Marc Soler, guided by Andrej Hauptman and Simone Pedrazzini.
- UAE seeks a third straight title after wins by Juan Ayuso in 2024 and João Almeida in 2025, with Primož Roglič, Ayuso and Ben Healy among the rivals expected to challenge.