Today it’s the 35th edition of the Clásica San Sebastián, a one-day race that’s part of the WorldTour and is organized in the Basque Country, in Spain. The peloton has to cover 219.2 kilometres and has to get over some tough climbs.

The race starts and finishes in San Sebastián or Donostia, in the north of Spain. There are six climbs on the route, among those the Alto de Jaizkibel and Alto de Arkale. Both have to be covered twice. The finale is different than it was two years ago. There is an extra climb before the riders get to the boulevard in San Sebastián. The organization hopes to make the race more attractive this way.

Jelle Vanendert, Tiesj Benoot and Tim Wellens are part of the Lotto Soudal team. They will compete against riders like Bauke Mollema, Greg Van Avermaet and Joaquim Rodríguez. Alejandro Valverde, last year’s winner, starts as well. Jelle Vanendert looks ahead.

“San Sebastián is always a race where you have to work hard until the Jaizkibel, which we have to cover twice. After that the race normally breaks loose and it’s a matter of paying attention. It’s a tough course, but it suits me. I already was tenth here in 2011 and last year I was sixth," he said.

“After an altitude training camp you need to recover and then you always have to wait and see how the legs feel in the first race. In the third stage of the Tour de Wallonie, with finish on the Citadelle de Namur, I was sixth and I had a good feeling. I skipped the last stage with the Clásica San Sebastián in mind. The condition is good and I hope I can battle along in the finale.

“We have to see how well the riders have recovered from the Tour. The one rider gets out of a Grand Tour with an excellent condition and the other has sore legs and is tired. But I think favourites like Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodríguez will be ready. That are riders you have to watch in this kind of races. But I will also keep an eye on Zdenek Stybar. We have to see how the race develops but I will try to follow those riders.”

Selection Clásica San Sebastián:

Tiesj Benoot, Stig Broeckx, Sean De Bie, Pim Ligthart, Dennis Vanendert, Jelle Vanendert, Tosh Van der Sande and Tim Wellens.