The Clásica San Sebastián is a prestigious summer fixture of the WorldTour calendar, a hard, hilly race suited to lots of different riders.
As ever, the contenders are split between those looking to wring out the last traces of energy and fitness after the Tour de France, and those who’ve been largely dormant since the Giro d’Italia so are clicking into gear ahead of the Vuelta a España and the late-season Classics.
It is a concoction that makes for an open-ended affair and an aggressive and unpredictable Saturday afternoon of racing in the Basque Country.
The Clásica – known as the Donostiako Klasikoa in native Basque tongue – is one of the most gruelling one-day races with a succession of steep climbs around San Sebastián and Irún, up on the northern coast of Spain by the French border.
The riders will tackle an opening loop and then head for the main climbs of Jaizkibel and Erlaitz, before the finale of the short but steep Murgil.
Last year, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) sprinted to victory from a leading quartet, with the title typically coming down to a small group, if not a solo winner.
The contenders
As ever, there’ll be a strong contingent of Tour de France finishers, the headline name being that of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), second overall in Paris.
The Slovenian has decided against riding the Vuelta a España but will be hungry as ever for a victory before he looks to the late-season one-day races, including the World Championships in Australia.
Last year’s winner Powless is also expected to race, as is 2016 winner Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), and a top-10 Tour finisher in Romain Bardet (Team DSM).
As for those who aren’t coming from Paris, all eyes will be on Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) ahead of his much-anticipated Vuelta a España debut.
The Belgian is scrutinised wherever he goes and, before a key test of his future Grand Tour prospects at the Vuelta, he’ll be answering questions of whether he’s up to that test.
Such is life for the young Belgian sensation, whose first major victory as a professional came at this very race in 2019, when he was just 19 years of age. Evenepoel will take full command of QuickStep in the absence of world champion Julian Alaphilippe, who…
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