Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka are back in action this weekend for the first time since our successful 2016 Tour de France campaign. The 36th Clasica San Sebastian is a single day World Tour event taking place on Saturday in the Basque Country. It will be the African Team’s debut appearance when they line up in Donostia for the 220km classic.

The Clasica San Sebastian is a prestigious race that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, being the first World Tour event to take place after the Tour. Some riders from the Tour de France look to carry their form from the Tour into San Sebastian and the African Team will have Serge Pauwels taking this approach.

Pauwels showed his climbing prowess in the tough mountain stages of the Tour de France, most notably with a 2nd place finish on Mont Ventoux. With the Clasica San Sebastian taking in 6 classified climbs, 5 of them in the last half of the race, a punchy climber can be expected to lead the way on Saturday.

Igor Anton is another rider from the African Team that will look to perform well. With the race taking place on many of his known training grounds, Anton will have extra motivation racing in front of his home crowd. Kanstantsin Siutsou, Nathan Haas, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Merhawi Kudus, Adrien Niyonshuti and Songezo Jim will complete the 8-rider line up.

Sports director Jens Zemke said:

"Clasica San Sebastian is a famous and respected event which we are thrilled to be participating in for the first time. We will have an ambitious team taking to the start of the 36th Clasica San Sebastian, and we will aim for a top result. Serge Pauwels will bring the great vibe of a successful Tour de France with him to San Sebastian.

"Three of our riders will use the Clasica San Sebastian as their final race before going to the Olympics, Pauwels, Kanstantsin Siutsou and Adrien Niyonshuti. Some of our other riders will continue on to the Vuelta Burgos next week, so they are all motivated.

"Igor Anton, our Basque rider, will lead our African charge in his home event as we race to shed further light on our #BicycleChangeLives campaign this weekend in Donostia."