With the Tour de France done and dusted, the attention turns to the classics where Saturday’s Clasica San Sebastien opens the series of big one-day races in the second half of the year. Some of the riders from the Basque race will have a chance to get their revenge one day later in the lumpy Circuit de Getxo which concludes a busy week of one-day racing in the Basque Country and traditionally gives strong sprinters a chance to shine.

Spain has always been a country for stage racing and one-day racing has never got much attention on the Iberian Peninsula. That has left riders like Oscar Freire and Juan Antonio Flecha frustrated. Both were among the best classics riders in the world but their achievement failed to get the deserved recognition in their home country.

One region bucks the trend slightly. The Basque Country has always been the most cycling-mad part of the country and they celebrate both stage races and classics. Every year they have two important blocks of races where they gather most of the cycling world for a week of top-level racing. In the spring, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco is the centerpiece of a block that also includes the one-day races GP Miguel Induarin and Klasika Primavera but in the block in the summer, the focus in on the classics.

The key event in the series is the WorldTour race Clasica San Sebastian but it is surrounded by two smaller races that offer a chance to warm up the race or get revenge. One day after the biggest race, Circuito de Getxo is the final race in the triptych while Prueba Villafranca-Ordiziako Klasika kicks things off in the week leading up to the WorldTour classics.

It is a strange fact that the race in San Sebastian is the big event. The WorldTour race is a new race that only made its debut in 1981 while the races in Ordizia and Getxo are among the oldest in the country. The race in Ordizia was first held in 1922 and the Circuit de Getxo had its first edition just two years later. Since then the race has been held almost every year apart from a few cancellations in the 1930s, a long break from 1967 to 1979 and cancelled editions in 1986 and 1993.

The race in Getxo is different from the other two races in the block in the sense that it is more suited to sprinters than climbers. This is reflected in the list of winners which is dominated by fast riders and doesn’t feature the many grand tour stars that have won the hilly races in San Sebastian and Ordizia. This probably makes it a bit less prestigious and the fact that it has been massively dominated by Spanish riders contributes to this. Since the end of the 1980s, however, the race has been a lot more international and riders like Adri van der Poel, Jeremy Hunt, Christian Henn, Marcel Wüst, Jesper Skibby, Alessandro Bertolini, Martin Elmiger, Pavel Brutt, Giovanni Visconti, Danilo Di Luca and Nacer Bouhanni are among the international riders that have podiumed in the event. That also means that it doesn’t have much synergy with the Clasica San Sebastian and instead it attracts a different kind of riders. Some riders still o both but usually there is quite a bit of substitution between the two events.

The race is held in the city of Getxo and always takes place on July 31 as part of the traditional celebrations in the town. Only when the Clasica San Sebastian is held on this date will the race take place on August 1. Since 2001, it has been called Memorial Ricardo Otxoa in memory of the local rider who died after being hit by a car while training with his famous brother Javier. Since 2005, it has been a 1.1 race on the UCI Europe Tour.

Unfortunately, it has suffered the same fate as most of the big Spanish races. The tough economic times have taken their toll on the Spanish calendar and many races have been canceled. The rich stage race scene in the spring has been reduced to almost nothing and the races that have survived have mostly been shortened.

Circuito de Getxo has survived but like many other smaller Spanish races, it is unable to afford a strong, international field. Many of the races in Spain have developed to a one-sided battle between Caja Rural and Movistar, with the rest of the field being made up of small continental teams. This year the race has managed to attract WorldTour teams Movistar, Lampre-Merida and Orica-BikeExchange but with only nine teams in attendance, it is a very small field.

The race has traditionally been held as a circuit race for sprinters but the circuit was changed in 2011 and then became one for puncheurs. The race now finishes on the small Txomintxu climb which is clearly reflected in the list of winners. While the pure sprinters dominated the honours roll until that year, the recent editions have been won by Juan Jose Lobato (twice), Giovanni Visconti, Carlos Barebero and Nacer Bouhanni who all excel in tough uphill sprints. Bouhanni won the race last year.

The course

Circuito de Getxo is one of the most conservative races when it comes to the course which rarely undergoes any changes. The big news came in 2011 when the well-known circuit was modified to include a new uphill finish and since then the race has been unaltered. There won’t be any changes for 2016 either as the race will use the same course that has been used for the last five editions of the race.

The event will be held over 10 laps of a 17km circuit around the city of Getxo for a total distance of 180km. The circuit includes numerous roundabouts but is almost completely flat. There are only two small climbs in the early part and then the riders hit flat roads that lead to the nasty sting in the tail. The final 732m are what the race is all about as they are all uphill. The first half of the climb averages 8.8% and then it eases slightly off for the next 175m where it’s only 5.5%. Then there’s a short 10.3% section, peaking at 14%, and then it’s a bit easier with 5% for the final 65m. There are sharp turns at the bottom of the climb and halfway up the ascent and from there are only two bending turns for the final 400m.

The favourites

Almost every year, Circuito de Getxo comes down to an uphill sprint and it is hard to imagine that it will be any different in 2016. The field contains thee WorldTour teams and one pro continental team but the rest of it is made up of small continental teams and there are only nine teams at the start. Movistar and Caja Rural will both be going all in for a sprint and Lampre-Merida are probably also confident that Diego Ulissi can win here. Among the major teams, only Orica-BikeExchange will probably try to ride very aggressively but it will be hard when the strongest teams all want a sprint. Hence, it should come down to the usual uphill sprint in Getxo.

Juan Jose Lobato is a double winner of the race which is no major surprise. The Spaniard is a real specialist in these uphill sprints as he has proved on numerous occasions. He has won in Stirling at the Tour Down Under, he made John Degenkolb look like a junior at last year’s Ruta del Sol and he won the very similar queen stage at this year’s Dubai Tour.

After an injury-plagued month of March, he was very strong in April and May but then he again fell ill in June. Now he is reportedly back on track and rode solidly in support of his team when he made his debut at the Klasika Ordizia which was of course too hard for him. This is an indication that he should be good for a race which is dear to his heart.

Lobato’s main problem is the positioning and so it is ideal for him that this is one of the smallest fields for a pro race. He has an excellent team at his side for once he should be able to get positioning right. He is maybe even the best uphill sprinter in the world on such a steep climb and we doubt that anyone will be able to beat Lobato if he is just close to his best form.

His main rival is probably Diego Ulissi. The Italian is another specialist in uphill sprints, especially when they are this steep. If it had been a flatter finale, we wouldn’t have given him much of a chance but he has proved that he can beat almost everyone in this kind of finish. Many will remember how he beat much faster riders in an easier finale at last year’s Giro.

Ulissi’s form is a bit uncertain. He wasn’t great in Poland but there he suffered from the cold like evertone else. In fact, he did a pretty good TT so his form shouldn’t be too bad. This race is not that difficult so he doesn’t even need to be at 100% to be in with a shot here. He doesn’t have the strongest team at his side but that may not be necessary in this small field.

Orica-BikeExchange are led by the in-form Simon Yates. He has been out of competition for a long time and suffered in the cold in the Tour de Pologne but he proved his form with a great solo win in the Klasika Ordizia. He is a great puncheur and should find this finale to his liking. However, he may not be as fast as Lobato and Ulissi and probably has to make the difference by going hard from the bottom.

Caja Rural will be riding for Carlos Barbero who won the race in 2014. He is another specialist in uphill sprints but this finale is a bit too steep to suit him ideally. On the other hand he has won here before and last year he won a similarly tough stage in the Vuelta a Burgos. He crashed out of the Tour of Turkey but has had time to build form for a time that has always been good for him. On paper, he is not as fast as Lobato but if his compatriot is not at 100%, he definitely has a chance.

Lobato’s form is not necessarily the best and if he isn’t up for the challenge, Daniel Moreno will take over in a finale that suits him well. He was very inconsistent in the Tour but he actually rode pretty well. The finale is steep enough to suit him well and if he is still in solid form he is able to match the best here. He is unlikely to get his chance but if he is allowed to give it a go, he can definitely win.

Caja Rural also have a back-up plan as Pello Bilbao is a specialist in an uphill sprint like this. However, the Spaniard didn’t seem to be at his best in Ordizia and he is likely to work for Barbero. On the other hand, he will be ready to take over if the captain is not up for the challenge and he definitely has a chance in this kind of finale. Like Moreno, he may also attack in the finale and then use his fast finish to beat his rivals.

Orica-BikeExchange are here for Yates bu they also have Caleb Ewan but the finale is probably a bit too steep for him. On the other hand, he won a tough uphill sprint at last year’s Vuelta and he is a tiny guy who has the power for such a short climb. Overall the race is not very hard so he may be in with a chance in the end. He showed good form in Poland and if he can arrive fresh for the finale you cannot rule him out. Luka Mezgec is the back-up plan but while he is a better climber than Ewan, he is probably not punchy enough for such a finish.

Movistar, Caja Rural and Orica-BikeExchange may also try to ride aggressively in the finale. If that’s the case, keep an eye on Ruben Fernandez, Jack Haig and Angel Madrazo who are all strong on short climbs and have shown great form recently. Marc Soler, Simone Petilli and Carlos Betancur are also suited to this but their form doesn’t seem to be great. Lluis Mas and Christopher Juul are aggressive riders but the finale is probably a bit too hard for them.

***** Juan Jose Lobato

**** Diego Ulissi, Simon Yates

*** Carlos Barbero, Daniel Moreno, Pello Bilbao

** Caleb Ewan Ruben Fernandez, Angel Madrazo, Jack Haig, Luka Mezgec

* Hugh Carthy, Marc Soler, Marco Zamparella, Lluis Mas, Christopher Juul, Simone Petilli