Natnael Tesfatsion gave Movistar another one-day victory by winning the 81st Circuito de Getxo-Memorial Hermanos Otxoa on Sunday, timing his effort to perfection in an uphill sprint after a gruelling finale in the Basque Country. The 27-year-old Eritrean beat Pau Miquel (Bahrain-Victorious) and Alex Aranburu (Cofidis) to the line in Getxo, having fought his way back into contention after being dropped on the decisive climb.
"I know this race well. I was dropped on the hard climb, but we managed to get back with some other riders. I’m surprised I won the race,” Tesfatsion said after the race.
"I knew the finish suited me. We worked with Bahrain to get back, with Pello Bilbao, and we caught the front group...I had the legs. I went with 200 metres to go, gave everything and managed to win," he added after taking his second win of 2026.
The 172.2km hilly one-day event started in Bilbao and finished with laps of a circuit around Getxo. The first four laps included the category 3 climb of Alto Akarlanda (4.5km at 2 per cent), while the two final circuits took in the category 2 ascent of Alto Pike (2km at 9.4 per cent) before a flat run-in to the line.
A ten-rider breakaway formed inside the opening 25km, featuring Paul Ourselin (Cofidis), Jonathan Lastra and Iker Mintegi (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Fabien Grellier (TotalEnergies), Nickolas Zukowsky (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Alex Díaz (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Mattia Bais (Team Polti VisitMalta), Rodrigo Álvarez (Burgos Burpellet BH), Nícolas Sessler (Victoria Sports Pro Cycling) and Ferran Miravalles (Meridian Racing p/b de la Uz). The group held an advantage of almost two minutes as Lidl-Trek and UAE Team Emirates-XRG set the pace behind.
On the first ascent of Alto Pike the escape split apart, and with 44km remaining Bais attacked alone, the last survivor of the original move. He was later joined by his Polti VisitMalta team-mate Javier Serrano, Edoardo Zamperini (Cofidis) and Adam Lewis (APS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery) before the race came back together on the final climb.
That reunion produced a 25-rider selection over the top of Alto Pike, with Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) still present in the closing seven kilometres. In the end the race was decided in the uphill sprint, Tesfatsion launching early and holding off his rivals to seal the win.
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