Ion Izagirre to start career farewell at Il Lombardia despite fractured wrist

Ion Izagirre’s (Cofidis) planned final road race as a professional is back on track despite fracturing his left wrist in a training crash last week near his base in the Basque Country. 

On 30 September, Cofidis confirmed that Izagirre was set to miss the rest of the season, and therefore his career was set to come to an abrupt end. 

Izagirre had confirmed earlier this year that 2026 would be his final season in the peloton, with the 37-year-old planning to bring his career to a close on his own terms at Il Lombardia.

However, despite looking destined to end his career on a sour note, Cofidis confirmed on Wednesday evening that Izagirre will now, in fact, take to the start of Il Lombardia on Saturday despite the fractured wrist, as he confirmed the news himself in a video. 

His most recent race came on 12 September at the Memorial Marco Pantani, which he won from a four-group sprint, marking his twentieth career victory. 

Among those 20 victories are two stages at the Tour de France in 2016 and 2023, one at the Giro d’Italia in 2012, and one at the Vuelta a España in 2020. He became the 100th male rider to do so when he won his Vuelta stage back in 2020.

Despite being in the twilight of his career, 2026 has proven to be one of the strongest seasons of Izagirre's career, as the 37-year-old won the GP Miguel Indurain for a record-equaling third time in April.