The Tour de France is over and it is time for the traditional revenge match between the race's climbers. The Basque climbs - most notably the famous Alto de Jaizkibel - offer the perfect scene at the Clasica San Sebastian where many of the Tour stars mix it up with some of the high-profile absentees from the French grand tour to battle for the honour of winning Spain's biggest one-day race. For some, it's a final opportunity to benefit from the post-Tour condition, for others it's the first major objective in a long and hectic autumn season and this year it is even a key test for the Olympics. That combination is set to produce a fabulous bike race as the peloton tackles the hilly roads around the beautiful Spanish holiday destination.

 

Spain is one of cycling's traditional powerhouses and the sport has a rich history in the country. However, the cycling culture is markedly different from some of Europe's most established cycling nations. While Belgium has always put its main emphasis on one-day races, those events play almost no role in the country on the Iberian Peninsula where it's almost all about stage racing. Many stage races have disappeared in recent years but Spain once had a fantastic calendar of hilly, multi-day events.

 

On the other hand, there has never been a rich one-day scene in Spain and those few Spaniards who have excelled in the classics, have never received much recognition in their home country - just ask Juan Antonio Flecha and Oscar Freire. However, one single-day event stands out from the rest of the races and has made it into the top echelon of the sport: the hilly Clasica San Sebastian.

 

While most other one-day races have esteem by virtue of their deep history, Clasica San Sebastian finds itself in a completely different situation. First held in 1981, it is a rather new event but from the onset, it attracted some big Spanish and foreign stars that were inspired by the hilly nature of the course and the passion of the Basque cycling culture. When the World Cup was created in 1989, Clasica San Sebastian made it into the select elite of one-day races despite its short 8-year history. When the ProTour (later renamed the WorldTour) was created in 2005, it was promptly included on the list of the most prestigious races.

 

That recognition is highly justified. As a well-organized event in one of the most cycling-mad parts of Europe, it always attracts a high-calibre line-up of climbers and Ardennes specialists that find the hilly course in the Basque hills to their liking. Held less than a week after the final stage of the Tour de France, the race has found its unique role on the cycling calendar as the perfect revenge match for the Tour's best climbers. Those Tour stars mix it up with some of the stars that were absent from the 3 weeks on the French roads, and for those latter riders the race is the first target in a long autumn season. Earlier the race was held one week later but the recent schedule change has given the race a further boost as it is now closer to the Tour and so makes it easier for the Tour stars to maintain their condition for the race.

 

Like many other Spanish races, the existence of the Clasica San Sebastian has come under threat in recent years, and in February 2012 organizers warned that neither the Clasica nor the Vuelta al Pais Vasco would be held unless a new major sponsor would step in. The UCI considered intervening to save the historical races and finally the Spanish bank Sabadell Guipuzcano stepped in to secure the races' futures for a couple of years.

 

The race's main feature is the Jaizkibel climb which has traditionally been the place to create a selection before the mostly flat, high-speed run-in to the finish in the seaside city of San Sebastian. Wishing to add more difficulties to the race, the organizers decided to include another passage of the famous climb for the 2010 edition of the race and since then the Jaizkibel and the subsequent Arkale climbs have been tackled twice. This has certainly added to the toughness of the race and made it much harder to control the final flat part of the race. This year the organizers originally planned to use the same course but increased security demands have forced the organizers to use a different climb in the finale.

 

In 2014 the course was again changed. The organizers were frustrated not to be able to promote the city of San Sebastian sufficiently and so decided that a bigger part of the finale should take place in the centre of the race. After the riders had tackled the Jaizkibel and Arkale climbs twice, they headed to the finish line in the traditional way but they ended the race by doing a 16.2km finishing circuit. While mostly flat, it included a very tough 3km climb to the Hotel San Sebastian and its 9% average and maximum 22% gradient made it a hard affair. Summiting just 8.3km from the finish, it dramatically changed the dynamics of the race and made it much easier for the best climbers to come out on top. The organizers were pleased with the new course which was used again in 2016.

 

The Clasica San Sebastian is usually one of the hardest races to predict as the condition of the Tour riders is always completely up in the air. Some finish the race with a boosted form, others are completely fatigued and often they make a very late decision on their participation as they need to see how well they have recovered from the hardships of the grand tour. Hence, the start list often undergoes dramatic changes until within 24 hours of the start of the race.

 

This year the Olympics adds an extra twist to the calendar and as the course in Rio is perfectly suited to climbers, many of the Tour contenders will head from France to Brazil. That has made it tricky to find out how to approach the race in San Sebastian. On one hand, it’s a perfect warm-up race for the battle for gold in Rio, on the other hand it may be more important to recover for the bigger event that is held just one week later. While riders like Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali, Fabio Aru and Romain Bardet prefer to recover, the likes of Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez, Adam Yates, Greg Van Avermaet, Daniel Martin, Roman Kreuziger, Rafal Majka, Greg Van Avermaet, Richie Porte and Bauke Mollema prefer to do one final big race to maintain their condition. They will be up against several in-form riders who want to kick start their autumn season in the best possible way on the Basque road. Philippe Gilbert, Tim Wellens, Michal Kwiatkowski, Rigoberto Uran and Steven Kruijswijk all have the Olympics as their first big goal in the second part of the season and they will test their form in San Sebastian.

 

In 2015, the new course was used for the second time and it turned into a huge drama. Greg Van Avermaet rode away from everybody on the final climbs and looked like he was riding to a solo win when he was run down by a motorbike. Instead, Adam Yates escaped solo and the Brit held on to take the biggest victory of his short career. A small chase group was caught by a bigger group on the finishing straight and it was Philippe Gilbert who beat Alejandro Valverde in the sprint for second. On the back of a very successful Tour, Yates will be back to defend his title and Valverde and Gilbert will also both be back, hoping to add to their tally of wins in the ace that they have both won before.

 

The course

The Clasica San Sebastian has traditionally included an opening run through the Basque hills to tire out the riders ahead of the exciting finale and then everything has been decided on the final circuit with the Jaizkibel and the Arkale climbs. Since 2010, the circuit has been done twice before the riders have continued along mostly flat roads to the finish on the Boulevard in San Sebastian.

 

As said, the organizers decided to change the course significantly for the 2014 edition and the inclusion of a 16.2km finishing circuit with a very tough climb in the finale significantly altered the dynamics of the race. The first hilly section has been cut further down and now only features one climb. Like in the five latest editions, the riders will then do two laps of the Jaizkibel-Arkale circuit before going back to the finish and do a lap of the finishing circuit. As a WordTour one-day race, the distance has traditionally played a significant role but in 2014 the race was shortened a lot. In 2013 the total distance was 232km but in 2014 the riders only did 219.0km with less climbing. Overall it was an easier race but the finale was harder. Apparently, the organizers were pleased with the result as the course was unchanged for 2015.

 

The plan was to use the course again for the 2016 edition but extra security requirements from the UCI made it impossible to use the final climb. Instead, the riders will a slightly different ascent that has the same start and is very steep too. The change makes the race 1200m longer – the overall distance will be 220.2km – and increases the distance between the top of the climb and the finish.

 

The race kicks off in San Sebastian at 11.45 local time and the riders have traditionally headed straight into the Basque hills. This year, however, they will travel along rolling coastal roads in the first part of the race and they won’t face any significant climbing before they reach the Alto Iturburua whose summit is located at the 59.5km mark. After the descent, it’s back onto rolling roads that lead to the start of the Jaizkibel-Arkale circuit.

 

This opening part is easier than it has been in the past and will mainly serve to create the early break. With less climbing, the escape may not necessarily include great climbers and may be easier to keep under control. Traditionally, the break has often been given a pretty big advantage but with the shorter distance they may be kept a bit firmer under control by the teams of the favourites who will start to accelerate by the time they approach the first lap of the key circuit.

 

The finale will start with 103.4km to go when the riders will hit the bottom of the category 1 Alto de Jaizkibel (7.8km, 5.84%). The climb comes in two sections with an easier stretch in between and levels out a bit towards the top. The difficult parts both have a gradient of 7-8%. While it is still too early for the main favourites to play their cards, we often see some reshuffling of the breakaway. The steep slopes are enough to send many riders out the back - both in the peloton and the breakaway. At the same time, the main favourites don't miss the opportunity to ask their teams to ride tempo as this is where the race needs to be made hard.

 

A fast descent is followed by a short stretch of flat roads and the uncategorized Alto de Gaintzurizketa and then it is time for the category 2 Alto de Arkale (2.7km, 6.3%) which is a rather constant climb and whose top is located with 72.46m to go.

 

Instead of continuing all the way to San Sebastian, the riders head back up the Jaizkibel climb and this has traditionally been the time for the favourites to play their cards. The riders who have no hopes of winning a final sprint, have usually launched attacks and while the early break has now often been caught, it has often just been a small group of climbers that have crested the summit in the lead positions.

 

Now the climb comes farther from the finish and with a late climb in the finale to use as a launch pad for attacks, the favourites will bet more conservative. We will definitely see attacks from the peloton but there is a big chance that the climb will be used more to set a hard pace than to launch big offensives.

 

At the top, 55.1km remain and that’s a pretty long distance to keep a break alive. More riders will probably rejoin the favourites. The next flat section has traditionally been very difficult to control as the favourites have mostly had very few domestiques left but less aggression will make it a bit harder to escape the peloton’s clutches.

 

The Gaintzurizketa and Arkala climbs form the perfect launch pads for late attacks as we saw in 2014 and 2015but the latter has its top located 32.2km from the finish which makes it less important than it has been in the past. This time the riders continue all the way to the finish in San Sebastian and those final kilometres are mostly flat. The small Alto Miracruz which comes at the 3km from the line has often been the scene for late attacks but now it is unlikely to play any role.

 

After the passage of the line on the big Boulevard in San Sebastian, the riders take on the 17.4km finishing circuit that is mostly flat but has a nasty challenge at the midpoint. The 1.8km climb to the Hotel San Sebastian has a 10.5% average gradient and sections of up to 20%, with the final 600m averaging 12.5%. It is 700m shorter than the previous climb but is slightly steeper. This will be the scene for the big battle between the favourites.

 

The top comes just 8.5km from the finish and they can be divided into two parts. First it is a pretty technical descent and then it is a flat run for the final 3.2km to the finish on the Boulevard. However, there are several corners to negotiate, meaning that it is no easy place to organize a determined chase. The race comes to its traditional flat finish on the Boulevard in San Sebastian which has both been the scene of sprints from small groups, solo victories and a decision from a handful of attackers.

 

 

The favourites

As indicated above, the Clasica San Sebastian has traditionally been one of the harder races to predict. The Tour stars mix it up with riders with very little racing in their legs and the form level of both groups is very difficult to gauge. At the same time, tactical savvy and luck have played a crucial role on the flat final part. Those kilometres have been very difficult to control for the few domestiques which have been left at this point in time and surprisingly often a late move has stayed clear all the way to the line. It is testament to the toughness of the course that no more than 3 riders have decided the race between them since Alejandro Valverde won a small sprint in 2008. Timing and brave riding are attributes that have often been rewarded in San Sebastian.

 

However, the new course has clearly made thing more controllable and made it easier for the strongest riders to come to the fore. The inclusion of the late, very steep climb has made it much easier to make a difference which was evident in the last two editions of the race where the best climbers simply rode away on the ascent. The new climb is a bit shorter and the distance to the finish is a bit longer but with sections of 20%, this is a climb for the really lightweight and punchy climbers and the number of potential winners of the race has been reduced considerably.

 

That doesn’t mean that the strongest rider will always win. From the top of the final climb, there are still more than 7km to go and they can be very hard to control. In 2014, Joaquim Rodriguez seemed to be the strongest on the climb but as Alejandro Valverde joined him at the top, a five-rider group gathered. Being the overwhelming favourite in a sprint, Valverde found himself in the difficult position of having to respond to all attacks. To avoid that kind of responsibility, he surprised his rivals by making a race-winning attack. Luck and timing play will play a key role to come out on top from the small group that is likely to be created on the climb.

 

The new Clasica is more about good climbing legs and less about tactics but the shorter climb will open the door for a few more riders., Descending skills are still important as there will be time to get back on. If a small group of favourites are still together after the descent, it will probably become the usual tactical race to the finish line but you need the climbing legs to be there. Finally, the flat finish means that a fast sprint is definitely no disadvantage in case a group arrives on the Boulevard together.

 

While the new climb makes the race harder, it also makes the early part less exciting. The best riders know that they can make the difference on the final ascent so they have no incentive to try their luck already on the Jazkibel. That makes it a much more controlled affair and we are unlikely to see any action from the big guns before we get to the finishing circuit. Instead, they can now use their teams to ride tempo on the first climbs and save their energy for the final climb. Many teams have an interest in a hard race so they will definitely make it tough but we are unlikely to see the same kind of aggression on the traditional key climbs and it will be a bigger group that descends the Jaizkibel. This also means that it is harder for anyone to create a surprise and the days when a plucky attacker can take the win are likely to be gone. The favourites are likely to have more domestiques at their side and this means that the run-in to San Sebastian will be easier to control. Even though we will probably see some attacks, most riders will save their energy for the final ascent.

 

The change in the finale is likely to have an impact on the race. The final climb is shorter and there’s a longer way from the top to the finish. This will make the race less selective and there is a bigger chance that we will have a bigger group at the finish. In 2014, the lack of cooperation could very well have resulted in a regrouping if Valverde hadn’t got away and last year only Yates managed to get away. This year the easier climb means that the chances of a sprint from a bigger group are bigger. It will be more difficult for a lone rider to get away and the tactical battle in the final flat section always favours a regrouping.

 

What makes the Clasica San Sebastian very difficult to predict is the level of fatigue of the Tour riders. Many make pretty late decisions about their participations and most of them don’t know how they are really going before we are halfway into the race. Some riders who looked strong at the end of the Tour, are suddenly nowhere to be seen in San Sebastian while others suddenly turn things around after a good week of recovery. In 2014, Valverde looked dead in the final week of the Tour and almost cracked completely in the final time trial. Nonetheless, he came out on top one week later in San Sebastian.

 

This year Valverde ended the Tour on a much better note. With the Olympics being his main goal, he had a completely different approach to the race and was mainly there to work for Quintana. He went into the race a bit short on form and while playing his role as domestique, he slowly got better and better. His great time trial on stage 13 was a clear indication that he was getting closer to 100% and he ended the race on a real high as he was one of the very strongest on the penultimate mountain stage last Friday. Despite working hard for Quintana in the final 2km, he still had enough left to keep up with Rodriguez and cross the line in third.

 

This sets him up even better for another win in San Sebastian. While there is uncertainty about the form for most of the Tour riders, that’s definitely not the case for Valverde. The Spaniard is one of the most consistent riders in the peloton and he rarely enters a race without being in contention for the win. His turnaround is testament to his class and his pure talent simply means that one week of rest is always enough for him to return to a very high level even after three weeks of hard racing.

 

This makes him one of the favourites for the Clasica San Sebastian. The course suits him very well and the inclusion of the climb is a clear advantage for him. In the past, the race has always been complicated for him due to difficult tactics. On paper the biggest one-day race in his home country suits the Movistar captain down to the ground but for some reason he had only won it once before the 2014 race. The 2013 edition clearly exemplified why the race has always been a difficult one for the greatest Spanish classics rider. Valverde was left isolated in the small group that emerged after the final passage of the Jaizkibel and this made it impossible for him to control the many attacks in the finale. Hence, Tony Gallopin escaped and Valverde’s final sprint was only good enough for second.

 

With the new course, the race will be more selective but the change to the final climb is a disadvantage for the Spaniard. He would have preferred the race to be as hard as possible as he is a better climber than other fast riders like Greg Van Avermaet. If he can get rid of those riders, it is hard to imagine than anyone will be able to beat him in a sprint but if they are there, things will be more difficult for the versatile Spaniard. Hence, we can expect Movistar to take a lot of initiative and try to make things as tough as possible during the two passages of the Jaizkibel climb.

 

Valverde will probably try to drop everybody on the final climb before using his good descending skills to extend his advantage. That is clearly the preferred outcome for Valverde as the final flat section will again be difficult to control. Everyone will be looking at him to close the gaps and that could again cost him a big victory as most recently did at the 2014 Il Lombardia. This time, however, his main challenge may be to get rid of the other fast riders but in any case Valverde stands out as one of the obvious favourites. On paper, Alaphilippe may be a tiny bit faster but the difference is small. At the end of a hard race, Valverde can beat everybody in this race and he has the advantage of being hugely experienced in sprints like these. Being a better climber and a more consistent rider than most others, Valverde should be up there in any race scenario and he can come out on top in every scenario too. Hence, he is our favourite to win.

 

Last year’s race was a frustrating affair for Greg Van Avermaet. The Belgian was the strongest rider in the race and surprised many by dropping everybody on a climb that should actually have been a bit too hard for him. That’s a clear reflection of how much stronger the Belgian has become. He is no longer just a contender for the cobbled classics, he can be up there in the harder races too. His performance in the mountains at this year’s Tour de France even indicates that he is riding better than he was 12 months ago.

 

Still there are better climbers than Van Avermaet and if the race becomes really tough, he won’t be able to follow riders like Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez. On paper, the final climb should be a bit too steep for him but last year he proved that he can be up there even on a wall like this. The easier climb is definitely an advantage for Van Avermaet who is more of a punchy classics rider than a real climber and he has a much better chance to follow the best on a climb like this. On paper, he is one of the fastest in a sprint even though his real forte is uphill sprints. He may not be quite as fast as Valverde but he is very close to their level in a flat sprint. With Philippe Gilbert at his side for the lead-out, Van Avermaet could very well get his revenge for last year’s disappointment.

 

Daniel Martin hasn’t won a lot but impressively he has already added the two hilly monuments to his palmares. The Irishman is a master in timing his attacks and rising to the occasion which has turned him into one of the best classics riders in the world. The Clasica San Sebastian is one of the big races still missing from his palmares but there is no reason that he won’t be able to win a race that suits him well.

 

Last year Martin went into the race on the back of a complicated Tour but this year he is in a much better position. He had the best Tour of his life and ended the race in ninth overall. He was clearly not as strong in the third week as he was at the start of the race but he was still riding well enough to go on the attack and defend ninth place. That puts him in a good position for this race.

 

Martin is suited to the new course with a short, steep climb in the finale but the easier climb is a disadvantage for him. He is one of the fastest in a sprint but he is not as fast as Valverde and Van Avermaet. To win the race, he probably needs to get away and that won’t be easy with an easier climb. On the other hand, Movistar may not be strong enough to control things after the climb and that could open opportunities. Martin is a master in timing a late attack as he did when he denied Valverde in similar circumstance at the 2014 Il Lombardia and if he can make a similar move, he could very well add this race to his palmares.

 

Lotto Soudal go into the race with numerous cards but their best option is probably Tiesj Benoot. The Belgian was absolutely flying in the Tour de Pologne where he finished third in the queen stage. In fact, he looked like the best rider in the group of favourites but he had to play it a bit defensively as he had teammate Wellens up the road. However, the performance underlines that he is much more than a cobbled classics rider as he also climbs excellently.

 

Benoot was set to carry the momentum into the Tour de Wallonie but he fell ill on the eve of the race and that raises some questions. However, his form was absolutely great a few weeks ago and it can’t have disappeared completely. He is probably not climbing well enough to follow the very best on the final climb but he won’t be far off the mark. If it comes down to a sprint from a group, he will be one of the fastest.

 

Joaquim Rodriguez ended the Tour de France as the in-form rider. The Spaniard was flying in the final week. He did an excellent time trial, was flying in stage 19 and did a great attack in stage 20 to move into seventh overall. On paper, he should find the new course with a short wall in the finale to his liking. In 2014 he was the strongest on the final climb and it was only a late surge by Valverde that made the Movistar captain rejoin his compatriot at the top of the climb.

 

However, Rodriguez has been significantly hampered by the course change as his only real chance to win is by getting away on the final climb which may now be a bit too easy for him. He would have preferred the finish to have come at the top as it would have increased his chances significantly. He is reasonably fast in a sprint but he has no chance in a direct battle against Valverde and Van Avermaet. Hence, he needs to get rid of them before he gets to the line and that will be difficult as he is no longer as explosive as he once was. On the other hand, he seems to be better than he has been for a long time and if anyone can ride away for a solo win in this race, Rodriguez is probably the best candidate.

 

Last year Adam Yates dropped everybody on the final climb and claimed the biggest win of his career. This clearly shows that the talented Brit is able to digest a grand tour well. However, it will be harder for him to repeat the feat this time. First of all he went much deeper in the Tour as he rode for GC and rode hard every day. Secondly, the easier climb is not an advantage for him as he is not fast enough to beat riders like Valverde, Van Avermaet and Martin in a sprint. Finally, he will be much more closely marked so he won’t get any kind of freedom. On the other hand, Yates is clearly a lot stronger than he was 12 months ago and he is a punchy rider suited to a steep wall like this. He has already proved that he can win here and it’s definitely not impossible for him to do it again.

 

Jarlinson Pantano has always been a very talented rider but he really had a breakthrough in the Tour. After a slow start, he was absolutely flying in the final week where he won a stage and finished second twice. He now hopes to carry that form into this race which should suit him really well. He is very strong on short, steep climbs, he descends better than most and he is even fast enough to mix it up in reduced bunch sprints. Much will depend on his recovery after the Tour but nothing suggests that he has slowed down just the slightest bit. It will be hard for him to beat Valverde in a sprint but it’s definitely not impossible.

 

Van Avermaet will share the BMC leadership with Philippe Gilbert who was second in the 2015 edition of the race. The Belgian has had a difficult year but his great performances in June suggest that he is better than he has been for a long time. He was absolutely flying at the Belgian Championships and that made him one of the favourites for the Tour de Pologne. Like many others, he suffered in the cold in that race but it’s hard to base too much on that race. The rumours are that Gilbert is riding really well and this kind of race should suit him. He may have had a hard time following the best on the previous climb so the easier finale should suit him well. He is fast in a sprint and even though Valverde is a bit faster, he is definitely able to beat the Spaniard. The problem is his position in the BMC hierarchy as he may have to work for Van Avermaet in a sprint and so his best chance may be to attack with a small group in the flat section after the climb.

 

A few weeks ago we would never have imagined that we would mention Fabio Felline as a possible winner of this race. The Italian had a really bad crash in the Amstel Gold Race and nothing suggested that he will be competitive already now. However, he has just had a remarkable Tour de Pologne where he finished second overall and managed to follow Benoot in the Zakopane stage. That speaks volumes about how far he has come. However, this race could be a bit too tough for him at this early stage in his comeback and we doubt that he will be good enough to follow the best. On the other hand, he will maybe be the biggest favourite if it comes down to a sprint from a bigger group.

 

Adam Yates’ brother Simon is the second great candidate for Orica-BikeExchange. The Brit has just returned from his short suspension which forced him to miss the Tour de France but he is already back in form. The Tour de Pologne turned out to be difficult for him but it was more due to the bad weather than a lack of form. His solo win at Klasika Ordizia, the traditional warm-up race for San Sebastian, is a clear indication that he is flying.

 

Simon may have flown a bit under the radar compared to Adam but his results have been great. He has been in the top 10 in Romandie and the Dauphiné and in the U23 ranks he was even faster and more explosive than his brother. This makes him perfectly suited to a race like this and there is no reason that he can’t do what his brother did 12 months ago.

 

Diego Ulissi is one of the most inconsistent riders in the peloton and you never know what you will get from the versatile Italian. At his best, he is absolutely flying but for some reason he has never had much success in the biggest one-day races. He has had trouble coping with the longer distances but this race is only 220km and so should suit him a bit better. He didn’t have a great Tour de Pologne but like everybody else he suffered in the cold. His good time trial on the final day indicates that the form is not that bad and he is suited to a short, steep climb like this. Furthermore, he is fast in a sprint. He is probably not fast enough to beat Valverde but if he can exploit the tactical situation to get away with a few riders, he can definitely win this race.

 

It has been a frustrating last 18 months for Michal Kwiatkowski who has been far from his best form. It is hard to explain what has happened to the strong Pole. He seemed to be back on track when he did a good prologue at the Dauphiné but then he fell ill and his Tour de Pologne was very poor even though he got off to a great start. On paper, this is a race that suits him down to the ground but we doubt that he has the form to be competitive. On the other hand, he can’t be ruled out completely. If a bigger group gathers in the end, he could very well be the fastest rider. After all, he did a very impressive sprint in Poland and if he can do so again, this is a race that he can win.

 

Tim Wellens was absolutely flying in the Tour de Pologne and no one can deny that the Belgian is in outstanding form. However, this race is not exactly suited to him. The final climb is a bit too steep for him and the final part of the race is not hard enough for him to make one of his trademark attacks from afar. Nonetheless, you can never rule Wellens out. He knows how to make a well-timed attack and when he has this kind of form, he is definitely not easy to catch.

 

Cannondale go into the race with Rigoberto Uran as their leader. The Colombian is building form for the Olympics and he is always a danger man at this time of the year. Last year he returned with a bang after his mid-season break when he rode to victory in the GP Quebec. This year he has completed the Tour de Pologne but like most others, he suffered in the cold. Hence, nobody knows how he is going but as Rio is a big goal for the reigning silver medallist, he can’t be too bad. The race suits him as he is strong on a short, steep climb and many tend to forget how fast he is even in a flat sprint.

 

Finally, Bauke Mollema deserves a mention. The Dutchman is always strong in this race and he is a much better one-day rider that many think. He was clearly dead at the end of the Tour but he may bounce back strongly in this race. He has done so in the last few years, even in 2014 when he ended the Tour very badly. He is pretty strong on short, steep climbs and he has a fast finish. Of course he won beat Valverde or Van Avermaet in a sprint but if he can ride away with a few companions in the final flat section, he can definitely win the race.

 

NOTE: There are always late changes to the start list for the Clasica San Sebastian so riders may disappear or be added to the list below.

 

***** Alejandro Valverde,

**** Greg Van Avermaet, Daniel Martin

*** Tiesj Benoot, Joaquim Rodriguez, Adam Yates, Jarlinson Pantano, Philippe Gilbert

** Fabio Felline, Simon Yates, Ilnur Zakarin, Diego Ulissi, Michal Kwiatkowski, Tim Wellens, Rigoberto Uran, Bauke Mollema

* Tony Gallopin, Luis Leon Sanchez, Daryl Impey, Michael Albasini, Pello Bilbao, Arthur Vichot, Richie Porte, Roman Kreuziger, Nicolas Roche, Bob Jungels, Moreno Moser, Gianluca Brambilla, Enrico Battaglin, Simon Clarke, Davide Formolo, Pierre Latour