The race will feature 16 WorldTour teams and six ProTeams, with Jayco–AlUla and NSN Cycling Team absent after invoking the new UCI regulation.
The organisers of the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country have announced the line-up of teams set to compete in the UCI WorldTour race, which will take place from 6 to 11 April. A total of 22 teams will compete in the Basque race.
Among them are 18 teams from the top tier of world cycling (UCI WorldTeams), with the exception of Jayco–AlUla and NSN Cycling Team, who have confirmed they will not take part in this edition of the Itzulia. Both teams had secured their places as part of the WorldTour, but, relying on an International Cycling Union (UCI) rule that allows WorldTour teams to decline invitations to calendar events under certain conditions, they have opted not to register for this top-level race. This rule is part of the UCI’s provisions regarding the calendar and the participation obligations of professional teams.
The 16 WorldTour teams confirmed for the 2026 Itzulia, excluding these two absences, are:
• UAE Team Emirates
• Movistar Team
• Soudal Quick-Step
• Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
• Lidl-Trek
• Decathlon CMA CGM Team
• Lotto-Intermarché
• Uno-X Mobility
• Bahrain-Victorious
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama-FDJ
• XDS Astana Team
• Ineos Grenadiers
• Alpecin-Premier Tech
• Team Picnic PostNL
• Visma-Lease a Bike
In addition to these teams, six UCI ProTeams have been invited by the organisers:
• Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
• Burgos Burpellet BH
• Equipo Kern Pharma
• Euskaltel-Euskadi
• Cofidis
• Tudor Pro Cycling Team
With this line-up, the 2026 Itzulia will feature a peloton assembled according to the sporting and regulatory criteria set by the UCI, maintaining its status as one of the flagship stage races on the international calendar.
