Mikel Nieve finished fourth at the Clasica San Sebastian for the second year in succession after producing a brave display in the Basque Country.

Nieve shot out of a reduced peloton to catch Alexandr Kolobnev (Katusha) on the steep slopes of the Bordako Tontorra climb, and crested the final ascent just metres behind Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) to set up a dramatic conclusion.

Team Sky had been active throughout the 219.2km test with Danny Pate attempting to make the day’s first breakaway before Amets Txurruka eventually snuck clear after 25km.

Once the catch had been made, David Lopez immediately made his move and was joined by three riders as he approached the summit of the category-one climb.

Andriy Grivko (Astana) was the next rider to try his hand off the front, but as Katusha chased him down, Christian Knees led Nieve into position and allowed him to strike when Kolobnev attacked on the Bordako Tontorra.

After the race, Sports Director Dan Frost was pleased with the way his riders had performed and felt the race benefitted from the addition of the Bordako Tontorra in 2014.

"I'm definitely satisfied with that. Coming into the race we wanted to get on the podium, and we got as close as possible to doing that. Mikel and David both rode great races, and made good moves, and the rest of the team deserve praise for the way they backed them up,” he told Team Sky’s webpage.

"Mikel really opened it up on that last climb. I think it was a great addition to the race as it made for a really exciting finale, and it suited Mikel as well. The support he received on there was fantastic and the fans here really love their cycling.”

"This is our best result as a team here and for me personally as a Sports Director, and it bodes well for the coming races."