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While the 2014 Tour de France may have only recently concluded the World Tour season continues with the one day Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian.
With a revamped hilly parcours some 219.2 kilometres-long and staring a new finale, the peloton will not be able to rely on previous experience for the 2014 edition of the iconic Spanish one day race.
The first major change to the parcours comes with the removal of the Third Category Alto de Orio and Second Category Alto de Garate in favour of the First Category Alto de Iturburu. While officially just 3.5 kilometres-long, at an average gradient of five per cent, the peloton will begin ascending long before they officially begin the climbing the Alto de Iturburu at the 56 kilometre mark.
Similar to the previous parcours, the peloton will twice climb the First Category Alto de Jaizkibel and Second Category Alto de Arkale before re-entering San Sebastian and crossing the finishing line. However, instead of finishing after the second ascent of the Alto de Arkale the new parcours sees the race continue through town to welcome another new addition, the Bordako Tontorra.
Usurping the Alto de Arkale as kingmaker of the race, the Second Category Bordako Tontorra will quickly sort the wheat from the chaff. A climb for the explosive climbers and puncheurs, the ascent up to Igeldo is 2.5 kilometres-long at an average gradient of nine per cent. However, to properly understand just how challenging the ascent of the Bordako Tontorra will be we must examine the climb in further detail.
While the first 800 metres of the climb are at gradient of eight per cent, it is followed by the first of three 100 metre sections featuring an agonising gradient of 20 per cent. Afterwards the peloton will have a chance of recover with the next 1000 metres at just 4.5 per cent, before encountering our second 100 metre section of 20% gradient. The final 800 metres will be decisive, with the final 200 metres, at a gradient of 7.5 per cent, preceded by a 500 metre section at 13 per cent and our third and final section of 20 per cent.
Just seven kilometres, four of those kilometres downhill and the other three flat, separate the summit of the Bordako Tontorra and our finishing line, meaning any indecision or lack of co-operation among the favourites could prove costly. Even the previous parcours, where the summit of the Alto de Arkale lay 15 kilometres from the finish, was no stranger to a surprise late breakaway stealing the show.
It has been a few years since the race was last decided by a very small select bunch sprint between a surprise late breakaway or a group of race favourites. However, in the increasingly unlikely event that a sprint finish does decide the race’s victor, the final kilometre occurs on three long straight boulevards, with two left-hand 90-degree bends adjoining them; a finish suited to proper sprinters.
Similar to the Criterium du Dauphine, riders coming off a Grand Tour, in this case the Tour de France, often achieve a great result in the race. Since Leonardo Bertagnolli’s victory in 2007, the previous six winners of the Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian have come in to the race off the back of the Tour de France.
The current outright favourite for the race victory is Peter Sagan of Team Cannondale, and having ridden the Tour de France he does fit the current trend. Unable to win a stage at the 2014 Tour de France, the Slovakian will surely be keen to make amends in San Sebastian. However, his rivals will be wary of carrying Sagan to the line for a sprint and will seek to test his climbing on Bordako Tontorra.
One rider who will be seeking to break the recent trend of Tour de France participants winning in San Sebastian will be Philippe Gilbert of BMC Racing. The Belgian has not raced since Belgian National Road Championships near the end of June, meaning he should be fresher than the majority of his rivals. Something that may not be in Gilbert’s favour could be the climb of the Bordako Tontorra, with it arguably closer to the Mur de Huy in difficulty than the Cauberg.
Orica-GreenEDGE bring at least a two pronged attack to San Sebastian with Simon Gerrans and Michael Albasini, with the Yates brothers potentially lurking in the shadows ready to cause an upset. While unfortunate, Gerrans’ withdrawal before Stage 17 of the Tour de France could leave him slightly fresher than some of his rivals and the climbs should suit Gerrans’ explosiveness.
The victor of the 2014 La Flèche Wallonne, also placing well at both Amstel Gold Race and Liège – Bastogne – Liège, Alejandro Valverde of Team Movistar will be a massive threat to the other contenders. Although, just how well the Spaniard has recuperated after an exhausting 2014 Tour de France, where he once again missed out on a podium finish, could ultimate determine whether Valverde walks out with the race victory.
Team Katusha also come to the 2014 Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian with a strong two pronged attack in Joaquim Rodriguez and Daniel Moreno. Both Spaniards are lethal at breaking away on punchy climbs with gradients in the double digits. Having not raced since the Dauphine, Moreno should also be fresher than most, while Joaquim Rodriguez will be looking to continue building towards the 2014 Vuelta a Espana.
Local favourite for the race victory will be Team Sky’s Basque rider Mikel Nieve, although Movistar’s Igor Anton could be an outsider should Valverde flounder, who come agonisingly close in 2013 with fourth behind Tony Gallopin. As defending champion, Lotto Belisol and Gallopin will be eager to defend their title, however, it remains to be seen whether the Frenchman can survive the slopes of the Bordako Tontorra.
Outsiders for the race include the likes of Daniel Martin of Garmin Sharp, still relatively fresh from his Giro d’Italia layoff; Frank Schleck and Haimar Zubeldia of Trek Factory Racing; Nicolas Roche of Tinkoff Saxo and Romain Bardet of AG2R Le Mondiale.
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