Giulio Ciccone (Lidl - Trek) has won the Clásica San Sebastian for the first time. The Italian won as a soloist ahead of Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) and Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe). The 30-year-old made the decisive attack on the last climb 10 kilometres before the finish.

There he had left Christen behind, who in turn had only just caught up with Ciccone and his own team-mate Isaac del Toro from a chasing group. The Swiss rider wanted to attack immediately, but caught a counterattack from the eventual winner. He built up a lead of just under half a minute up to the crest of the climb and was able to feed off this over the final eight kilometres. He saved nine seconds at the finish.

19 seconds behind them, a quartet sprinted for the last place on the podium. Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) had a little more juice than Tiesj Benoot (Team Visma | Lease a Bike), del Toro and Neilson Powless (EF Education - EasyPost).

Ciccone wins first race after crashing out of the Giro

At 211 kilometres, the race around San Sebastian in the Basque Country was shorter than ever before in its history. The 2025 edition was also less difficult. The favourites opened the race at Erlaitz, 45 kilometres before the finish. Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) was the first to come out of hiding, after which all the other podium riders and placed riders also made their move.

Ciccone initially only countered the attacks. Only in the final stage did he go on the offensive himself. "I didn't expect to win straight away," said the Italian at the finish. It was his first race since he had to abandon the Giro d'Italia after a crash. "I knew that my numbers were good and that I had worked really well with the team. But two months without racing is a long time - you never know how your legs will react."

It was his second win of the season, having won a stage of the Tour of the Alps in preparation for the Giro. In total, he celebrated winning a race for the twelfth time in his career. "I had a moment of doubt when del Toro and I were alone on the flat," he admitted. The duo had pulled away from everyone else at Erlaitz. "There was still a long way to go and it was tempting to let up a bit. But we kept pushing. When Christen came back, I thought: now it's on. I expected del Toro to attack, but he started to ease off. So I followed Christen and when the moment came, I counterattacked."

Clásica San Sebastian 2025 - Results

>> The preview of the classic in the Basque Country

How the Clásica San Sebastian 2025 went

A first group of twelve riders formed on the approach to the first climb of the day. Luxembourg's Mats Wenzel (Equipo Kern Pharma), Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) from France and the Belgian Gil Gelders (Soudal Quick-Step) were among the most prominent of the twelve professionals. However, the breakaways were kept on a short leash from the start and the lead was rarely much larger than two minutes.

At Jaizkibel, 70 kilometres before the finish, the group initially fell apart. Luke Plapp (Team Jayco AlUla) had caught up from behind. But even with his support, it was over for Wenzel and Labrosse, the last remaining breakaway riders, at Erlaitz. With 46 kilometres to go, Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) attacked as the climb had just begun. Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) was the first to react. However, he immediately overtook the Slovenian when Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) and Ciccone joined him. And Isaac del Toro also made it to the front.

Roglic opens the battle of the favourites

At first Roglic was able to catch up, but at that moment del Toro pulled on the horn again. Only Ciccone was able to ride with him. Behind them, a group of nine riders formed. In addition to Plapp, Van Gils, Roglic and Christen, Cian Uijtdebrooks, Tiesj Benoot (both Team Visma | Lease a Bike), Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), Neilson Powless (EF Education - EaysPost) and Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) were also on board.

With 25 kilometres to go, del Toro and Ciccone had a 45-second lead, ten kilometres later it had increased to just under a minute. When it came to the final climb Murgil, it was 45 seconds again. Roglic stepped up the pace right at the bottom of the climb and suddenly only half a minute was left. But apart from that, nobody was working.

Christen attacks even though his team-mate is in front

Then Christen attacked. His attack was effective and within a few seconds the Swiss rider was on top. And he drove straight on. Ciccone followed, del Toro had to work through first. And then Ciccone went one better. By the time he reached the top, there were still eight kilometres to the finish - he had gained 30 seconds. On the descent and the final flat section, however, Christen came even closer, with only eight seconds left in the meantime.

And even though the Italian was always within sight of the Swiss, he was no longer able to close the gap. Behind them, Van Gils and Benoot had caught up with del Toro and Powless. The two Belgians also proved to be the better sprinters, with the Red Bull pro finishing third ahead of the Visma man.