San Sebastian: UAE Team Emirates have announced their line-up for the 37th edition of the Clasica de San Sebastian, taking place on July 29.
Among the side are riders who have recently competed in the Tour de France, including South Africa’s Louis Meintjes, who finished eighth in the general classification and second in the youth classification in Paris, Italians Diego Ulissi and Matteo Bono, and Croatian Kristijan Durasek. Joining the riders will be the UAE’s Yousuf Mirza, Italians Simone Petilli and Edward Ravasi and Slovenian, Jan Polanc.
The Basque Country race, which starts and finishes in the Spanish coastal city, boasts an impressive 231-km distance and traditionally favours climbing specialists.
Riders will take in eight climbs including; the Meaga, the Alto Iturburu, the Alkiza, the Alto de Jaizkibel and the Alto Arkale — climbing the latter two twice before crossing the line in San Sebastian.
Ulissi said of his debut: “This will be my first time participating at the Clasica de San Sebastian directly after the Tour de France. I am keen to try and make the most out of my good form and the momentum I garnered during the Tour so that I can remain competitive towards the end of the race too. I am aware that the competition is strong but I believe the selected team is up to the challenge and I would like to aim for a top result.”
The team’s sporting director Simone Pedrazzini said: “In this year’s lineup for Clasica de San Sebastian, there are riders who have just finished the Tour de France. We are aiming to encourage these riders to make the most out of their good form. Ulissi and Meintjes are our main contenders, however we will be counting on the rest for their support. Some of the other riders such as Mirza, Petilli, Polanc and Ravasi are trained in altitude and they’ll be useful for the breakaways.”
