Marc Hirshi secured victory at the Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa after a thrilling two-up sprint against Julian Alaphilippe. The pair made a decisive move on the final climb of the 236km race, the brutal Pilotegi, breaking away from the remnants of the peloton.
The day began under sunny skies in San Sebastián, with riders facing a gruelling route filled with relentless climbs, including the famous Jaizkibel and Erlaitz ascents. Early on, a breakaway group of ten riders, including Warren Barguil, managed to pull clear after 40km, holding a lead that stretched to three minutes as they tackled the Jaizkibel. Despite their efforts, the steep ramps proved too much, and the breakaway was caught by the peloton. Simon Carr, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, and Ben Zwiehoff led over the summit, but by the time they reached Erlaitz, the peloton had reeled them in. Carr made a solo effort to hold his lead on the climb but was caught just a kilometre into it, paving the way for new attacks.
Julian Alaphilippe and Florian Lipowitz made the first significant move on Erlaitz, but it was Pavel Sivakov who crested the summit alone, holding a slim lead as the race approached the final kilometres. However, Sivakov’s solo effort was short-lived, with the group catching him on the steep slopes of Pilotegi. Alaphilippe once again showed his strength, attacking on the climb’s final brutal section, but this time only Marc Hirshi could follow. The two riders quickly distanced themselves from the rest of the peloton, setting up a tense sprint finish. Hirshi, opening up with just 200 metres to go, proved the stronger of the two, taking the win.
Behind the leading duo, Kevin Vermaerke delivered an impressive performance, finishing fourth after being dropped on the final climb. Reflecting on his race, Vermaerke commented, “It was a good race. It was a long travel from Norway to get here, so I felt a little tired yesterday, but I knew I had really good shape… I felt really strong today and slowly but surely making progress in the races. Fourth place is one off the podium, but I think we can all be proud of how we rode today as a team.”
Team Visma | Lease a Bike had a challenging day, with Jonas Vingegaard, fresh from a post-Tour rest, unable to keep pace on Erlaitz. Sepp Kuss, the team’s highest finisher, ended the day in 33rd place. Kuss admitted, “It was a tough day… In a final like this, you have to have top legs. Unfortunately, that was not the case today.” Marc Reef, Visma’s sports director, acknowledged the disappointment but remained pragmatic, noting that “our leaders simply didn’t have the legs” when it mattered most. The team will now focus on resting and preparing for the upcoming Vuelta.
2024 Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
