One of the fastest editions of Classic San Sebastian in recent years unfolded Saturday afternoon, when a 221.1km course punctuated by seven ascents made for a spectacular race and a passionate fight for victory.
Things exploded in the peloton on the penultimate climb of the day, where a sudden increase of pace at the front led to the day-long breakaway being caught and the bunch getting split into various groups. Gianmarco Garofoli, making his first appearance since the National Championships, dug deep on the steep slopes of Ersatz to limit the damage before barreling down the descent and making it back in the front group before the Murgil.
The race’s hardest ascent made another significant selection, leaving just two riders up the road with a pretty significant gap on the rest. The victory belonged to Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe), while Garofoli concluded the Basque World Tour event as Soudal Quick-Step’s best-placed rider, around one minute down on the winner.
“I felt good today. It was my first day of racing since the altitude training camp in Tignes. I had the legs to follow some of the attacks, although it wasn’t easy, and I’m content with how things went after so many weeks without competition. It gives me confidence for my next appointment, the Vuelta a Burgos”, said Gianmarco at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Antonio Baixauli / Getty Images
