Tour de France stars converge on Clasica San Sebastian

The WorldTour is back on Saturday with the 35th Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian, the first one-day race on the prestigious calendar since Liège–Bastogne–Liège on April 26. The Clasica San Sebastian takes place in the Basque region of Spain, and the winner gets a distinctive, large Basque beret called a txapela. Looking for his third victory, title-holder Alejandro Valverde (Spain/Movistar), who recently took his highest career placing in the Tour de France by jumping onto the third step of the podium, is only one of several main players fresh from the Tour.

The course repeats last year’s revamped 219-km route, with six Cat. 1 and 2 climbs, including the Cat. 2 Bordako Tontorra, which peaks 8-km from the finishing line in San Sebastian. The Bordako is a little brute at 2.5-km of 9% with three 100-metres sections of 20%. The final 3-kms to the line are flat.

Here’s the profile.

Who wants the roadbook of Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian send me pm with your e-mailadr pic.twitter.com/N9dqpiYqII

— martin meyers (@_mart1963) July 28, 2015

Valverde is favourited to repeat, but he’ll have plenty of Tour-tuned competition. Unfortunately, among them won’t be Alberto Contador (Spain/Tinkoff-Saxo). Contador was supposed to end his 2015 run at the San Sebastian but became ill. He’ll return in 2016 to concentrate on the Tour and the Olympics.

Double Tour stage-winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Spain/Katusha) is slated to start, while Warren Barguil (France/Giant-Alpecin) will join compatriots such as Alpe d’Huez winner Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Romain Bardet (Ag2r) in battle on the Bordako. Fans will get their first look at Mikel Landa (Spain/Astana) since his surprise third place at the Giro d’Italia. Landa is supposed to be in the mix at the Vuelta a España.

Ryder Hesjedal, third place on Alpe d’Huez, will be contesting the San Sebastian, where he placed 4th in 2009. Hugo Houle, recent gold medal winner for Canada in the Pan Am Games’ time trial event, lines up for Ag2r.