Spoiler ***Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian***
ridgerider
Posts: 2,845
What does the race profile and route look like?
What is San Sebastian like as a town?
What do the locals eat and drink?
Anybody got any ideas?
What is San Sebastian like as a town?
What do the locals eat and drink?
Anybody got any ideas?
Half man, Half bike
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As per the PTP page, click here to see the profile.
Having cycled it all (in different goes), the route's pretty much a reflection of local cycling in the basque country: nowhere flat, no really long climbs, big total ascent.
There are minor changes for this year: There's no longer a circuit to climb Jaizkibel twice (Yay!); linking instead clockwise with Erlaitz (YAY!). This combination is a very popular local route in either direction. I suspect the loop around Murgilbide was too short and, instead, cyclists now will go up the same hill using an easier route, but go all the way out to Orio, a nearby village, through a very narrow descent. I'm unsure how a "full" peloton will fit there, as two cars don't fit easily. From there, there are about 15 flat-ish km back to Murgilbide, the same muur from the last few years, and the quick descent to the finish.
My take is that, despite the improvements, Jaizkibel (8 km at 6%, with 4 km or so at 8%) + Erlaitz (4 km at 10%) are too far from the finish, and the 15 flat km after Mendizorrotz followed by the steep wall will inhibit breakaways from anyone other than the invited teams. All should be decided in the last 10 km. Despite 227 km and >5000 m total ascent.
It's a small city (population is ~200k), popular as a summer resort due to its three beaches. It's a proud basque enclave, and Basque, the local language, is extremely old and not derived from Latin. Quite posh compared to the neighbouring area, and with a substantial french influence (30 km from the border). Locals are very proud of their cuisine, with many top restaurants. Local tapas are brilliant, and called "pintxos". Weather is mild through the year, rarely getting very hot. Quite rainy, though (yearly precipitation is almost thrice of Edinburgh's).
Pintxos are the favourite snack amongst locals, eaten alongside a "txikito", a small glass of red wine, or a "zurito", a small glass of beer, at about 1/4 pint . Otherwise, the diet is quite different from, say, Barcelona. Fish & seafood is very popular, and squid on its ink is delicious... provided you can stomach eating a pitch black dish.
Want more info? I've done work-related visits there.
Don't you know that the mighty and magnificent Volta y Portugal is underway on the Iberian peninsular?
The boys riding there can put Chris Froome's numbers to shame. :P
Edition 39 of the Clásica de San Sebastián is held this Saturday. The hilly classic in the Basque Country dates back to 1981. The race is marked by steep ascent in the mountains of the Basque Country. The finale features the Murgil climb – 2.1 kilometres at 10.1% – before a flying descent into San Sebastián.
Last year, Julian Alaphilippe and Bauke Mollema forced a crucial selection on the short and sharp Murgil. They reached the summit together to plunge down to the line, where the Frenchman outsprinted the Dutch rider.
The first part of the 2019 route is a carbon copy of last year’s. The first climb is the Meage, which is crested at kilometre 27. The 3.5 kilometres uphill at 3.4% is perfect to stretch the legs before the route continues to the Alto Iturburu. The 6.6 kilometres climb at 5.3% leads to the highest point of the Clásica de San Sebastián at an elevation of merely 550 metres.
Next up is the Alkiza, a 4.4 kilometres climb at 6.2% with its summit at kilometre 78.9.
A calm phase in the race precedes the Alto de Jaizkibel. The 6.9 kilometres long climb at 6.2% is a regular on the Clásica de San Sebastián. The first 3 kilometres are steepest before the climb flattens out towards the top.
Approximately 10 kilometres after the descent of the Jaizkibel the riders tackle the 13 kilometres long Erlaitz. The first and last part and nothing special, but the heart of the ascent is something else entirely: 3.8 kilometres at 10.6%.
The riders descent into San Sebastián for the first passage on the line with 40 kilometres remaining. Still two ascents to go, both with insane gradients. First the Mendizorrotz. The two hardest kilometre slope at 11.3% before the climbs continues on a section of 2 kilometres at 4.5%.
Probably, the Clásica de San Sebastián comes down to the steep ramps of the Murgil’s climb. As it did since the wall-like obstacle was included in 2014. The Murgil Tontorra, as the Basks say, has an average slope of 10.1% and the length is 2.1 kilometres. The steepest ramps of the Clásica de San Sebastián’s last climb are 22%.
Only 7.3 kilometres remaining at the top. First a false flat and then a technical descent into San Sebastián before the last 3 kilometres are played out on the wide and flat boulevards along the coast.
Favourites 2019 Clásica de San Sebastián
***** Simon Yates, Julian Alaphilippe, Egan Bernal
**** Greg Van Avermaet, Alejandro Valverde, Adam Yates
*** Mikel Landa, Bauke Mollema, Michael Woods
** Gregor Mühlberger, Tadej Pogacar, Rigoberto Uran, Daniel Martin
* David Gaudu, Tony Gallopin, Giulio Ciccone, Tim Wellens
Donostia-San Sebastián
Donostia/San Sebastian concentrates all of the qualities that a visitor could ever wish for in a small area: it is one of the most beautiful places in the world, where tradition and modernity go hand in hand in a stunning setting.
Donostia/San Sebastian is a lively, active city with a healthy lifestyle that is strongly linked to taking part in outdoor sports. With a well-organised urban layout and short distances, Donostia/San Sebastian is perfect for going around on foot or on a bike, with large pedestrianised areas, bidegorris(bicycle paths) and promenades that run along its entire coastline.
The Basque seaside city of San Sebastián has a long list of attractions in its favour, a romantic old town and cityside beaches to name a few. But by far the greatest reason to head there is the food. The city is famous for its pintxos - the Basque version of tapas.
I am sorry.
If you look, I posted 2 minutes after you and obviously the post took longer than 2 minutes to put together.
You numbers are probably a lot more accurate than Flamme Rouge's too. They tend to be a bit off from time to time.
Delete dup.
Oh, don't worry, I know! It was all meant in good spirit! I also started adding links to climbs, but what I found from the locals was too eclectic, so it was discarded.
All in all, my doubts are whether the new course is all but neutered by having the bigger climbs so far from the finish. As is, the peloton can let a dummy breakaway for pretty much all the race, and only try to pull it back in the 15 km after Mendizorrotz.
Antwan Tolhoek, Sam Oomen, Tom Dumoulin, Thymen Arensman, Remco Evenepoel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Tom Pidcock, Mark Cavendish, Romain Bardet
(Both previews were good)
I like this race. Yates I reckon - Alaphillippe been dining out on his yellow jersey wearing all week?
*************************************** Alejandro Valverde
***** Simon Yates, Julian Alaphilippe, Egan Bernal
**** Greg Van Avermaet, Mikel Landa, Adam Yates
*** Bauke Mollema, Michael Woods
** Gregor Mühlberger, Tadej Pogacar, Rigoberto Uran, Daniel Martin
* David Gaudu, Tony Gallopin, Giulio Ciccone, Tim Wellens
A star for every one of his years. How's that?
OK, I'll swap Landa and Valverde around.
I'm glad I'm on holidays next weekend and won't be around for the start of the Vuelta, the amount of flak I've taken over this one.
Thank you Dr, and BS, perfectly complimentary, and no excuse for any of us not to pick the winner.
Any road, BS and I both spend cold nights in tents in San Sebastian, so I would add this to your description of the climate. Mild summer days with freezing summer nights.
Hedging your bets there! Which Yates? I've gone for Adam as he had a pretty easy Tour in the end. That said, looking through the start list my eye was drawn to Eddie Dunbar, if he's allowed to ride for himself I could see him doing well in this race.
I went for Adam earlier in the week, only to change to Simon, this morning.
In other words, you have picked the right Yates.
He's finished.
.....edited highlights, 9kms now. :oops:
The Tour boys are only in town to party.....
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
Making a sudden pre-Vuelta return to form somewhat unlikely.
My instinct for Dunbar wasn't far off, was just on the wrong wheel with the final split going over the top of the last climb and couldn't quite get back to the GVA group.