Evenepoel wins Clasica San Sebastian

Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-QuickStep) took his first WorldTour one-day race victory Saturday in Spain, soloing over the final 8km at Clásica San Sebastián to win alone. The 19-year-old dropped Toms Skujinš (Trek-Segafredo) on the final climb and then held off the chase over the closing 7km to secure the win.

"I really did not feel good today for most of the race," said Evenepoel, who was dropped form the bunch on the penultimate climb. "I did not to go so early, but I knew with power I could take [Skujinš] in the climb, and this is incredible. I really cannot believe this. It's unbelievable. I'll be honest, it was really a dream to once win this race in my career, and now I've done it already. It's incredible. I really didn't expect this. It's incredible."

How it unfolded

The early going of the 227.3km Spanish one-day race was animated by a large breakaway that eventually gave way to a solo effort by Fernando Barceló (Euskadi Basque Country-Murias), who was alone with 70km remaining as Movistar drove the chase back in the bunch.

Barceló’s solo effort was short-lived, however, as the pace in the bunch in anticipation of the penultimate climb soon had him back in the fold.

Greg Van Avermaet’s CCC Team came to the front to relieve Movistar before the start of the climb with about 40km remaining, then Deceuninck-QuickStep and UAE Team Emirates moved forward.

Movistar took over on the climb proper and set a pace that split the bunch, dropping UAE’s Dan Martin in the process. The Spanish team drove the pace on the descent with just over 35km remaining as the dropped riders struggled to get back on before the final climb and then a long 7km run to the finish.

Skujinš and Evenepoel slipped away with less than 20km to go and built a quick lead of 45 seconds in the valley between the climbs. The lead duo carried that advantage onto the ascent and added to it on the lower slopes. Back in the bunch, Movistyar swarmed to the front hoping to set up Alejandro Valverde.

Evenepoel attacked Skujins on the steepest part of the climb, but the Latvian champion was able to fend off the move and stick the young Belgian’s wheel.

Valverde indeed made his move on the climb, inciting action from most of the pre-race favourites, while Evenepoel freed himself from Skujinš’ grasp and set off on his own.

Evenepoel crested the final climb with a 42-second lead over the peloton while the attacks among the big names flew repeatedly behind him. With 5km to go the young Belgian had 35 seconds over the chasers, and his chances to land his first WorldTour one-day race looked all but assured.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep5:44:27
2Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) CCC Team0:00:38
3Marc Hirschi (Swi) Team SunwebRow 2 - Cell 2
4Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro TeamRow 3 - Cell 2
5Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-SegafredoRow 4 - Cell 2
6Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-HansgroheRow 5 - Cell 2
7Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 6 - Cell 2
8Enric Mas Nicolau (Spa) Deceuninck-QuickStepRow 7 - Cell 2
9Michael Woods (Can) EF Education FirstRow 8 - Cell 2
10Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 9 - Cell 2
11Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 10 - Cell 2
12Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJRow 11 - Cell 2
13Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-segafredo0:00:41
14Hugh John Carthy (GBr) EF Education First0:00:46
15Edward Dunbar (Irl) Team Ineos0:00:56
16Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits0:01:07
17Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Team Dimension DataRow 16 - Cell 2
18Mark Padun (Ukr) Bahrain-merida0:01:15
19Pello Bilbao Lopez de Armentia (Spa) Astana pro TeamRow 18 - Cell 2
20Simon Clarke (Aus) Ef Education FirstRow 19 - Cell 2
21Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-fdjRow 20 - Cell 2
22Gregor Mühlberger (Aut) Bora-hansgrohe0:01:22
23Brent Bookwalter (USA) Mitchelton-scottRow 22 - Cell 2
24Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton-scott0:01:23
25Sepp Kuss (USA) Team Jumbo-visma0:01:26
26Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-quick-step0:01:43
27Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-fdj0:01:46
28Sergei Chernetskii (Rus) Caja Rural-seguros RgaRow 27 - Cell 2
29Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 28 - Cell 2
30Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-segafredoRow 29 - Cell 2
31Nicolás Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Team IneosRow 30 - Cell 2
32Daniel Martin (Irl) Uae Team Emirates0:02:24
33Jonathan Caicedo (Ecu) Ef Education FirstRow 32 - Cell 2
34Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana pro Team0:03:57
35Tony Gallopin (Fra) Ag2r la Mondiale0:05:26
36Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-seguros Rga0:05:59
37Oscar Rodriguez Garaicoechea (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-muriasRow 36 - Cell 2
38Floris De Tier (Bel) Team Jumbo-vismaRow 37 - Cell 2
39Alexander Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-seguros RgaRow 38 - Cell 2
40Mikkel Frølich Honoré (Den) Deceuninck-quick-stepRow 39 - Cell 2
41Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-muriasRow 40 - Cell 2
42Lawrence Warbasse (USA) Ag2r la MondialeRow 41 - Cell 2
43Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 42 - Cell 2
44Jan Bakelants (Bel) Team SunwebRow 43 - Cell 2
45Dion Smith (NZl) Mitchelton-scottRow 44 - Cell 2
46Jaakko Hanninen (Fin) Ag2r la MondialeRow 45 - Cell 2
47Davide Villella (Ita) Astana pro TeamRow 46 - Cell 2
48Stéphane Rossetto (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits0:06:31
49Rui Costa (Por) Uae Team EmiratesRow 48 - Cell 2
50Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) Ag2r la MondialeRow 49 - Cell 2
51Jay Mc Carthy (Aus) Bora-hansgroheRow 50 - Cell 2
52Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team IneosRow 51 - Cell 2
53Jan Polanc (Slo) Uae Team EmiratesRow 52 - Cell 2
54Joseph Rosskopf (USA) Ccc TeamRow 53 - Cell 2
55Ruben Guerreiro (Por) Team Katusha Alpecin0:06:53
56Riccardo Zoidl (Aut) Ccc Team0:07:54
57Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-seguros Rga0:08:27
58Louis Meintjes (RSA) Team Dimension Data0:08:57
59Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team SunwebRow 58 - Cell 2
60Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural-seguros Rga0:09:22
61Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team0:09:56
62Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar TeamRow 61 - Cell 2
63Nans Peters (Fra) Ag2r la Mondiale0:10:23
64Victor De la Parte (Spa) Ccc TeamRow 63 - Cell 2
65Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-segafredoRow 64 - Cell 2
66Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Team Sunweb0:11:23
67Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Team Katusha AlpecinRow 66 - Cell 2
68François Bidard (Fra) Ag2r la MondialeRow 67 - Cell 2
69Fernando Barcelo Aragon (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-murias0:12:08
70Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-muriasRow 69 - Cell 2
71Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) Uae Team Emirates0:12:46
72Cyril Barthe (Fra) Euskadi Basque Country-murias0:14:13
73Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Den) Astana pro TeamRow 72 - Cell 2
74Damien Touze (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits0:15:08
75Markel Irizar Aramburu (Spa) Trek-segafredo0:15:11
76Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-bh0:15:17
77Diego Rubio Hernandez (Spa) Burgos-bhRow 76 - Cell 2
78Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team Jumbo-visma0:16:29
79Jacques Willem Janse van Rensburg (RSA) Team Dimension Data0:16:58
80Joel Nicolau Beltran (Spa) Caja Rural-seguros Rga0:17:14
81Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Burgos-bhRow 80 - Cell 2

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Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.

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