Italian Champion Filippo Pozzato made an attack to join the favourites in an attempt to win Spain's Clásica San Sebastián Saturday. He joined on the Miracruz climb, but Carlos Barredo made his winning move immediately after on the descent.
"I had faith became I was feeling good," said Pozzato. "I joined the front riders with less than four kilometres to go because if I had not I am sure that our group would have not re-joined them."
Pozzato (team Katusha) joined Barredo (Quick Step), Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne), Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas), Kim Kirchen (Columbia-HTC) and Pierrick Fédrigo (Bbox Bouygues Telecom). Czech Kreuziger attacked immediately afterwards, at the top of the Miracruz climb.
Pozzato refused to respond to rest his legs for a later attack or a sprint finish. "But then everything broke apart and the tactics started. I risked it, I had hoped for more cooperation."
Barredo reacted to Kreuziger's attack. The two rode the final two kilometres together, to the finish along San Sebastián's waterfront. Spain's Barredo sprinted ahead of his partner in the final 200 metres.
Pozzato finished sixth and teammate Serguei Ivanov eighth. Katusha teammate, Russian Evgeni Petrov, won the best climbers' award.
Pozzato finishes sixth in the Tour de France's stage to Barcelona last month and second in the Paris-Roubaix in April. He won the Italian championship, a stage of Driedaagse De Panne and the E3 Prijs earlier this year.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
