The fourth edition of Itzulia Women will take place from Friday 15th May to Sunday 17th May 2026 with three stages around the Basque Country in northern Spain.
It’s a race largely dominated by one team since its inception. Demi Vollering won the first Itzulia Women in 2022 while racing for SD Worx-Protime and claimed all three stages in the process. They were again the team to beat in 2023, when Marlen Reusser topped the general classification with Vollering in second. It was the same story once more in 2024, with Vollering victorious ahead of teammate Mischa Bredewold. Things were slightly different in 2025, with Vollering and Bredewold first and second, but Vollering now riding for FDJ-Suez.
Vollering won’t be at the race this time as she prepares for the Giro d’Italia, however Bredewold returns in a field that includes Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ), Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-Suez) and World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly).
Itzulia Women 2026 key information
- Date: 15th May-17th May 2026
- Start: Zarautz
- Finish: Donostia
- Distance: 390.4km
- 2025 winner: Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez)
- Live TV coverage: TNT Sports, ETB1, Eurosport, FloBikes
Itzulia Women 2026 route
Stage 1: Zarautz – Zarautz, 121.3km
Itzulia Women begins on 15th May in Zarautz with a typically relentless stage of climbing. There are six classified ascents that make for a bold opening day, the main event being the Category 2 Santa Ageda (8km, 6.8%) just past the halfway point. The final climb of the Garate (4.6km, 4.7%) tops out with 8km to go before a flat run-in to the finish.
Stage 2: Abadiño – Amorebieta-Etxano, 138km
Stage 2 is the longest of the race and the day heads upwards immediately towards the Trabakua (7.2km, 3.7%). There’s almost no flat road, with the final non-categorised bump coming in the final 10km.
Stage 3: Donostia – Donostia, 113.1km
The final stage of Itzulia Women again borrows from the Clásica San Sebastián route with the Jaizkibel climb (7.9km, 5.6%), which also featured in the men’s Tour de France in 2023. The race ends with the Mendizorrotz (6.4km, 5.2%) before a short flat run-in to the finish. It’s a copy and paste of last year’s final stage, which saw Vollering jump above Bredewold in the standings.
Itzulia Women 2026 favourites
Mischa Bredewold lines up as the big favourite having finished second in 2024 and 2025 to Vollering, who is not here to defend her title. FDJ United-Suez do bring Juliette Berthet, who is coming off a brilliant La Vuelta Femenina, where she finished fifth overall after strong placings in the mountains, as well as her compatriot Évita Muzic.
Usoa Ostolaza of Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi also impressed at the Vuelta with a fourth overall and should be one to watch in her home race. Elsewhere keep an eye on World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres and last year’s Tour de France breakthrough GC rider Dominika Włodarczyk.
Cyclist’s ratings
- ★★★★★: Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime)
- ★★★★: Juliette Berthet (FDJ United-Suez)
- ★★★: Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly), Usoa Ostolaza (Laboral Kutxa – Fundación Euskadi), Liane Lippert (Movistar)
- ★★: Dominika Włodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), Valentina Cavallar (SD Worx-Protime), Évita Muzic (FDJ United-Suez)
- ★: Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AlUla Jayco), Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health), Shirin van Anrooij and Ricarda Bauernfeind (Lidl-Trek)
How to watch Itzulia Women 2026
Itzulia Women 2026 will be shown live online through TNT Sports/HBO Max during the week in UK and Ireland and on TV through TNT Sports 6 and 7. Those in the United and Canada can catch the action on FloBikes as viewers in the Basque Country can follow the race live on ETB1, and it will be on Eurosport in mainland Europe.
If the race isn’t being broadcast in your country or you are travelling abroad, a VPN will allow you to hide your device’s location to access content that is normally geo-blocked.
Live TV and streaming times
All times BST and subject to change by broadcasters
Stage 1: Friday 15th May
HBO Max: 11:20-13:00
TNT Sports 6: 11:20-13:00
Stage 2: Saturday 16th May
HBO Max: 11:20-13:00
TNT Sports 7: 11:20-13:00
Stage 3: Sunday 17th May
HBO Max: 11:20-13:00
TNT Sports 6: 11:20-13:00