San Sebastian Cycling Classic preview
The San Sebastian Cycling Classic has always been a good opportunity for a cyclist who missed out in the Tour de France to have another chance for glory. The race is very important to the Spanish locals as well as Spanish riders, who often come to San Sebastian off the back of the Tour. Half of the winners in the last ten years have been Spanish, and the defending champion this year is Carlos Barredo. The Spaniard narrowly lost a stage win in the Pyrenees, when Pierrick Fedrigo won the 16th stage in a sprint with Barredo, Lance Armsrong, Chris Horner and Christophe Moreau, and will take the chance to make up for it.
The Quick Step rider broke through for his first victory last year in San Sebastian. His aggressive riding style will be backed up by Jurgen Van de Walle, as well as the spirited team of Sylvain Chavanel and Jerome Pineau, who were on fire in the first half of the Tour de France, Chavanel ultimately winning the overall fighting-spirit award.
A team effort will be necessary for success in San Sebastian, and the squads from Rabobank, Astana, Katusha and Omega Pharma-Lotto know it and have shaped their teams. Wildcards are no strangers to the event, but the big teams have come prepare to take control.
Rabobank will be sporting the third and sixth place finishers in the Tour de France, Denis Menchov and Robert Gesink, backed up by Juan Manuel Gárate and Nick Nuyens. The second and fourth highest ranked of the Tour de France competitors who are competing in San Sebastian have proven they can offer the kind of teamwork necessary to take control of this one-day race.
Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will be supported by Daniel Navarro, Paolo Tiralongo and David De La Fuente. Without Andy Schleck, Contador is the only contender who finished ahead of Menchov in the Tour de France, and he doesn’t have an equivalent of Robert Gesink on his side, though Navarro could be a surprise powerhouse. Contador, too, has nothing to prove, and he can be forgiven if he doesn’t push for the overall win.
Filippo Pozzato will lead the powerful classicists Alexandr Kolobnev and Serguei Ivanov for Team Katusha. Omega Pharma-Lotta has shaped a nice all-rounder troupe featuring Daniel Moreno, Matthew Lloyd, Charles Wegelius and Philippe Gilbert.
Where the fight will really be spilling over from the Tour de France is in the rivalry between Menchov and the Euskaltel-Euskadi captain Samuel Sánchez, someone who always gives his all in San Sebastian. Sanchez held third place in the Tour, narrowly maintaining a lead on Menchov for 10 consecutive stages, until the decisive stage 19 time-trial when the Russian overtook him for that final podium spot.
Sanchez arguably has the most to prove in the event, but Tour seventh place Ryder Hesjedal, 15th place Nicolas Roche, and the fifth best climber Damiano Cunego will each be leading a squad into Spain to continue what they started in France.
The 234km course will favour climbers and risk tiring out the classicists, with three category two climbs and two category ones. A winner will need to be able to hold his own in the mountains but still offer a powerful finish. The Alto de Jaizkibel will be climbed twice and will serve as a launching pad for the race leaders, and the Alto de Arkale will follow in the final 80km. From 40km to the finish line, the course is gradually uphill until a downhill run 10km to the end and a jagged profile where the contenders will be in close competition.
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