Valerio Agnoli escaped into a healthy breakaway early in the race of Clasica San Sebastian, and together with more than a dozen riders built almost five minutes advantage over the peloton on the hilly northern coast of Spain's Basque region.

As the teams chasing began to increase their pace to catch the breakaway and climb the final three mountains, Agnoli slowed to wait for teammates Mikel Landa and Rein Taaramäe at the base of the first category Alto de Jaizkibel.

With Agnoli's help the Astana riders came to the front of the race to do further work in the final 50km.

An elite group of 20 leaders, with three riders from Astana Pro Team, all came to the final climb of the day, with teammates Jakob Fuglsang, Michele Scarponi and Luis Leon Sanchez all fresh to test their legs at the finish. Fuglsang and Scarponi finished 15 seconds behind Adam Yates of Great Britain, with Sanchez another 10 seconds back.

"I waited for Landa and Taaramäe and then went full gas up to the second to last climb - it was a good tactic to be in the breakaway,” Valerio Agnoli told the Astana Website.