The WorldTour one-day races will resume at the Clásica Ciclista San Sebastián on Saturday where Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde will line up as the top ranked rider in the series and the defending champion, with a goal of winning his third title. It won’t be an easy feat, however, as the race will showcase a strong field of competitors including his compatriot Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).
Valverde and Rodriguez will arrive to the one-day race having recently completed the Tour de France. Valverde placed third overall behind winner Chris Froome (Team Sky) and his own teammate Nairo Quintana, while Rodriguez showed top form by winning two stages; on the punchy climb to Huy and on the Plateau de Beille.
In addition, both riders are well-suited for the Clásica San Sebastián’s challenging 220km parcours that includes the category 1 Alto de Jaizkebel followed by the category 2 Alto de Arkale, which the peloton will contest twice. The race will also finish with the climb up Bordako Tontorra, a nine per cent gradient that summits just seven kilometres from the finish line.
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Valverde is a proven winner on the circuit having topped the podium in 2008 and in 2014, where he soloed to the victory on the same course. Riders who do well in the Ardennes Classics are generally tipped to race well in San Sebsastian, and Valverde is a three-time winner of both Liège-Bastogne-Liège and La Flèche Wallonne, most recently winning both races this spring.
Movistar for Clásica San Sebastián: Alejandro Valverde, Winner Anacona, Giovanni Visconti, Rory Sutherland, Jesús Herrada, Javi Moreno, Rubén Fernández and José Joaquín Rojas.
Katusha lines up for Rodriguez
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