WorldTour racing resumes after the Tour de France, with Remco Evenepoel back in action at the Clásica San Sebastián on Saturday.
Held on the same day as the opening stage of the Tour de Pologne and just a week before the Road World Championships, the Spanish Classic offers a chance for riders on form after three weeks in France as well as those aiming for the rainbow jersey in Glasgow.
Evenepoel is a two-time race and stands out in the list of riders targeting the World Championships and then the Vuelta a España. The Belgian is seeking to join Marino Lejarreta as the only man to win the race three times.
The Soudal-QuickStep leader knows as much about winning the race than anyone in the current peloton, having soloed to victory in 2019 and 2022 – the latter by two minutes after a 44km solo effort last summer.
He’s gearing up to defend both his rainbow jersey and his Vuelta a España crown over the next two months and he’s set to face stern competition from a slew of riders fresh from the Tour over the 230km race through the Basque Country.
Clásica San Sebastián 2023 contenders
Amongst those names challenging for victory are several riders who finished among the top 10 in Paris.
Simone Yates (Jayco-AlUla) was the best of the lot at the Tour, finishing fourth, and the Briton has twice finished in the top 10 at the Clásica San Sebastián.
Fifth and sixth at the Tour, Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) will carry Spanish hopes at the race along with Bilbao’s teammate Mikel Landa, Tour stage 12 winner Ion Izagirre (Cofidis), and UAE Team Emirates leader Juan Ayuso.
All five men fit the profile to succeed in San Sebastián, with Landa and Rodríguez (last year) both having recorded top five placings in the past.
Ayuso, however, might be the man to watch from the quintet. The 20-year-old recently finished third at his first race in a month, the Prueba Villafranca. His UAE teammate Alessandro Covi placed fifth her two years ago and can’t be ruled out of contention, either.
At AG2R Citroën, Felix Gall heads up the squad in top form after taking a starring role during the final week of the Tour de France. The Austrian won the queen stage in Courchevel and took second on the final mountain stage. He’ll have Ben O’Connor for company, the Australian having helped him to success in Courchevel.
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