Published on : 05/15/2026
The opening stage of the Women’s Tour of the Basque Country already caused significant damage in the peloton. Our young neo-pro Ema Comte managed to latch onto a strong chase group and eventually finished 20th.
The Women’s Tour of the Basque Country is one of the key events of the season. Its selective route offers plenty of opportunities for our group of climbers, who arrived in this cycling-mad region with genuine ambitions. But on the steep roads of Itzulia, the competition is fierce, with many top riders aiming for a prestigious victory at the end of these three days of racing.
The route for this opening stage around Zarautz featured 121 kilometers and no fewer than six categorized climbs, including the Alto de Azkarate (4.2 km at 7.3%) and Santa Ageda (8.1 km at 6.6%). The race started at a relentless pace, with very few riders able to break clear from the peloton. Instead, the climbs gradually wore the bunch down from the back.
With 40 kilometers to go, Julie Bego and Ema Comte were still part of a reduced peloton that had shrunk to around thirty riders. The climb of Etumeta (4.5 km at 7.2%) caused major splits, as the teams of the favorites set a fierce pace from the very first hairpins.
Ema found herself in the first chase group just as the rain finally stopped falling. Our young rider, who only turned professional last August, fought hard while big names such as Lippert and Vallières tried to bridge across to the five leaders up the road. That final acceleration eventually proved too much for Ema, who crossed the line in 20th place, 1’13 behind the winner.
Tomorrow, our pocket climber Ema Comte will start Stage 2 wearing the best young rider’s jersey. A well-deserved reward!
Reaction from team sports director Arthur Quilliec:
“The girls started in brutal weather conditions. It was really tough at the beginning, especially on what was probably the hardest stage to handle given the profile. We had the best young rider’s jersey in mind for Ema, but first we needed to see how the day would unfold.
She managed to stay in contact with the best riders over the main climb of the day. That’s really encouraging. We’ll now try to keep hold of the jersey—it gives us a clear objective for the rest of the race. And of course, it also confirms Ema’s progression.”