Clasica San Sebastian 2024: Everything you need to know about the classic in the Basque Country
Thomas Huber
· 07.08.2024
The most important facts in brief
- Date: Saturday, 10 August 2024
- Distance: 236 kilometres
- Start & finish location: San Sebastian
- First edition: 1981 (44th edition)
- Last year's winner: Remco Evenepoel
- Record winner: Marino Lejarreta & Remco Evenepoel (three times each)
- Organiser: OCETA
The Clasica San Sebastian has been in existence since 1981 and has been one of the world's top racing series since 1989, making it one of the most prestigious one-day races after the Monuments of Cycling. The winner of the classic race receives a txapela - a beret typical of the region. The organiser is OCETA, which also organises the Tour of the Basque Country.
Clasica San Sebastian 2024: The route
The San Sebastian classic is characterised by its many difficult climbs. This is why not only classic riders but also mountain specialists can expect to have a chance of winning. The 2024 edition will also feature seven categorised climbs with both tough and poisonous gradients. The only German to win the race around San Sebastian was Udo Bölts in 1996, while the record winners are Marino Lejarreta and Remco Evenepoel. The former won the first edition of the race, Evenepoel in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Compared to previous years, the route was changed significantly due to road damage and safety concerns. Only three climbs have remained the same as last year: Alikza, Erlaitz and the Jaizkibel, which was cancelled for the race. To win the race, the riders now have to cover 236 kilometres and climb seven mountain classifications. The last two climbs in particular, Erlaitz and Pilotegi, involve extreme gradients of up to 27 per cent and are therefore likely to decide the winner. In addition, the finish in San Sebastian will be crossed twice before the riders head onto the final home straight. Both finishes will be marked with intermediate sprint points.
Erlaitz & Pilotegi as key points
The last three climbs in particular could be especially important in the 2024 San Sebastian Classic. Experienced riders of the one-day race should know the Jaizkibel well and have a small advantage - it is the legendary climb of the race. A field of favourites could therefore break away here and separate the wheat from the chaff. Last year, the preliminary decision was made on the Erlaitz. There, a group of six favourites around Remco Evenepoel and Pello Bilbao broke away and then decided the day's victory among themselves. This year too, the penultimate climb is likely to play an important role and the decision will come to a head.
However, the final decision is likely to be made on the final Pilotegi climb. Although it is only two kilometres long, it has an average gradient of 20 per cent over a distance of 500 metres. One rider could break away here and go on to claim victory in San Sebastian. A sprint between two riders, as happened last year between Evenepoel and Bilbao, is rather unlikely due to the difficulty of the climb - but is still possible.
The climbs of the Basque classic
- 27.7 km Andazarrate - 5.9 km à 5.7%
- 86.9 km Azkarate- 4.2 km à 7.3%
- 107.7 km Urraki - 8.6 km à 6.9%
- 128.2 km Alkiza - 4.4 km à 6.2%
- 175.5 km Jaizkibel - 7.9 km à 5.6%
- 195.2 km Erlaitz - 3.8 km à 10.6%
- 228.4 km Pilotegi - 2.0 km à 11.7%
Clasica San Sebastian 2024: The schedule
- Start (kilometre 0): 10 August 2024, 10:56 am
- Finish: 10 August 2024, approx. 16:33 - 17:08
Clasica San Sebastian 2024: TV broadcast & live stream
The one-day race Clasica San Sebastian will not be broadcast live on German television on Saturday 10 August. The final of the race between 15:00 and 17:20 will only be broadcast on the paid streaming service Discovery Plus will be shown. Anyone who wants to watch the race on free TV will have to wait until Monday 12 August. Eurosport 1 will broadcast the race live from 4 to 6 pm and from 9 to 10 pm.
Clasica San Sebastian 2023: Results - the top 10
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step) 5:30:59
- Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:00
- Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:28
- Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) +2:50
- Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) +2:57
- Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek) +3:02
- Alex Aranburu (Movistar) +3:02
- Rui Costa (Intermarche-Circus-Wanty) +3:02
- Andrea Bagioli (Soudal - Quick Step) +3:02
- Tiesj Benoot (Jumbo-Visma) +3:02
All winners of the Clasica San Sebastian
- 1981 Marino Lejarreta (Spain)
- 1982 Marino Lejarreta (Spain)
- 1983 Claude Criquielion (Belgium)
- 1984 Niki Rüttimann (Switzerland)
- 1985 Adrie van der Poel (Netherlands)
- 1986 Inaki Gaston (Spain)
- 1987 Marino Lejarreta (Spain)
- 1988 Gert-Jan Theunisse (Netherlands)
- 1989 Gerhard Zadrobilek (Austria)
- 1990 Miguel Indurain (Spain)
- 1991 Gianni Bugno (Italy)
- 1992 Raúl Alcala (Mexico)
- 1993 Claudio Chiappucci (Italy)
- 1994 Armand de Las Cuevas (France)
- 1995 Lance Armstrong (USA)
- 1996 Udo Bölts (Germany)
- 1997 Davide Rebellin (Italy)
- 1998 Francesco Casagrande (Italy)
- 1999 Francesco Casagrande (Italy)
- 2000 Erik Dekker (Netherlands)
- 2001 Laurent Jalabert (France)
- 2002 Laurent Jalabert (France)
- 2003 Paolo Bettini (Italy)
- 2004 Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Spain)
- 2005 Constantino Zaballa (Spain)
- 2006 Xavier Florencio (Spain)
- 2007 Leonardo Bertagnolli (Italy)
- 2008 Alejandro Valverde (Spain)
- 2009 Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic)
- 2010 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain)
- 2011 Philippe Gilbert (Belgium)
- 2012 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spain)
- 2013 Tony Gallopin (France)
- 2014 Alejandro Valverde (Spain)
- 2015 Adam Yates (Great Britain)
- 2016 Bauke Mollema (Netherlands)
- 2017 Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland)
- 2018 Julian Alaphilippe (France)
- 2019 Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)
- 2021 Neilson Powless (USA)
- 2022 Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)
- 2023 Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)
