Preview Clasica San Sebastian 2025 | Stepping out of the Tour’s shadow

Traditionally, participants and non-participants of La Grande Boucle meet each other in this Basque one-day race, with victory often going to riders who did not participate in the Tour. This is not surprising, however, for those who saw the riders arrive in Paris on Sunday evening. Freshness over form, although every year a few brave riders try to prove the opposite.

Last season, the victory went to Marc Hirschi, who held off Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) on behalf of UAE Emirates. Coincidentally, both now ride for Tudor, but unfortunately for the Frenchman, he will have to miss the Spanish cycling race. The same goes for three-time winner Remco Evenepoel, who is taking some extra rest after his crash in the Tour de France.

2024 Marc Hirschi
2023 Remco Evenepoel
2022 Remco Evenepoel
2021 Neilson Powless
2020 Canceled
2019 Remco Evenepoel
2018 Julian Alaphilippe
2017 Michal Kwiatkowski
2016 Bauke Mollema
2015 Adam Yates

Compared to last year, the organizers have decided to modify the route of the biggest Basque one-day race slightly. The route has been shortened considerably, from 236 kilometers the previous year to 211 kilometers this year. There have also been some changes to the climbs.

The start and finish are, of course, in San Sebastian, but in between, the organizers have opted for a more challenging course, especially in the final. Before we get there, the climbs to Andazarrate (5.9 km at 5.7%), Urraki (8.6 km at 6.9%), and Alkiza (4.4 km at 6.2%) have to be completed in the first half of the race. Each of these climbs will take its toll at the end.

The Jaizkibel traditionally marks the start of the final. This 7.9-kilometer climb at 5.6 percent has long been the decisive factor in the Clasica San Sebastian. The combination with the grueling Erlaitz (3.8 kilometers at 10.6%) that follows has not changed, so we can safely assume that this phase will be crucial again.

A 25-kilometer intermediate section follows this before we start the decisive and extremely steep hill of Murgil Tontorra. It is 2.1 kilometers long and has an average gradient of 10.1 percent, after which a quick descent takes us to the finish in San Sebastian. And then the 211 kilometers are already behind us.

Climbs
28.3 km: Andazarrate (5.9 km a 5.7%)
81.5 km: Urraki (8.6 km a 6.9%)
102.18 km: Alkiza (4.4 km a 6.2%)
149.2 km: Jaizkibel (7.9 km a 5.6%)
169.0 km: Erlaitz (3.8 km a 10.6%)
203.4 km: Muril Tontorra (2.1 km a 10.1%)

Weather
There is, of course, a reason why it is always so green in the Basque Country: rain. However, no rain is expected in northern Spain on Saturday, with a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.

So every year, it remains to be seen whether the men coming out of the Tour de France can handle San Sebastian. It often feels like a specialist's race. Riders such as Bauke Mollema, Greg Van Avermaet, and, in recent years, Tiesj Benoot (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) know the formula, but that is rare.

As with many races, it will be interesting to see what UAE Emirates-XRG has in store. Juan Ayuso is making his comeback after withdrawing from the Giro d'Italia, but we currently rate Isaac del Toro a little higher. He already won three stages and the overall classification in the Tour of Austria and the Classica Terres de l'Erbre in July, and he let his teammate Igor Arrieta take the victory in Prueba Villafranca. With Jan Christen, the team has a third contender.

From the Tour de France, Oscar Onley is the biggest name. The Scot finished fourth in the Tour de France, and Picnic PostNL hopes that he and Frank van den Broek can carry their form into the Basque Country. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) is also participating as a top ten finisher from the Tour. Tudor has a former Tour winner in Marc Hirschi, but he will have to step it up a notch. Julian Alaphilippe, who finished second last season and won in 2018, will not be there on Saturday due to a respiratory infection.

In the autonomous Spanish region, it is always worth keeping an eye on the locals. In 2025, we are thinking mainly of Pello Bilbao of Bahrain Victorious, which has also put Lenny Martinez and Antonio Tiberi on its provisional list, and Cofidis riders Alex Aranburu and Ion Izagirre.

It is not certain whether they will all start, but on paper, Lidl-Trek also has a super strong line-up with Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose, Quinn Simmons, and Albert Withen Philipsen. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is another up-and-coming team, where Maxim Van Gils, Giulio Pellizzari, and Aleksandr Vlasov will make their debut. Decathlon AG2R is counting on Aurélien Paret-Peintre and top talent Leo Bisiaux, while Groupama-FDJ has a very dangerous contender in Romain Grégoire.

Other riders who could make it to the final are Louis Barre (Intermarché-Wanty), Simone Velasco (XDS-Astana), Mauro Schmid (Jayco AlUla), Michal Kwiatkowski (INEOS Grenadiers), Andreas Kron (Uno-X), and our own Tibor Del Grosso, who is on the provisional list for Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Top favorites: Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) and Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL)
Outsiders:Juan Ayuso, Jan Christen (UAE Emirates-XRG), Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) and Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)

Saturday's Clasica San Sebastian can be seen live on Eurosport 1 and VRT 1, as well as those channels' online platforms. From 3 p.m. you can switch on for the Basque WorldTour race.