Clasica San Sebastian is just around the corner. The Spanish Classic traditionally opens the last block of racing with action-packed day on the Basque coast. For top team Visma | Lease a Bike, the race has not historically bore much success with Tiesj Benoot's third place in 2022 as the only highlight in team's most recent history. The Belgian will be present this year as well, but the return of his compatriot Cian Uijtdebroeks might grab even more attention.
Uijtdebroeks is one of the biggest talents in peloton, but the winner of 2022 Tour de l'Avenir and 8th overall at Vuelta a Espana in 2023 could not support the expectations that were placed on him most recently. His last race was Tour du Doubs in April after which the 22-year-old underwent a surgery to treat his leg numbness problem.
Since that problem doesn't seem to be worrying Uijtdebroeks anymore, we can look forward to seeing the young rider climbing with the best soon enough.
The aforementioned Belgian duo will be accompanied another rider with extensive experience with similar races; Attila Valter. The Hungrian is heading to Bahrain - Victorious for next season but before he does so, he'd like to have one last highlight in what's been a season without any outstanding results for the 27-year-old.
But Visma can also hope for their young trio; Jorgen Nordhagen, Tijmen Graat and Menno Huising to step up and do well in their San Sebastian debut. In particular the 20-year-old Norwegian wonder has been off to a strong first professional season with 13th overall at Tour de Suisse and top-25 result at La Fleche Wallonne. The selection will be completed by experienced domestique Julien Vermote.
Visma | Lease a Bike for Clasica San Sebastian 2025:
- Cian Uijtdebroeks
- Tiesj Benoot
- Attila Valter
- Tijmen Graat
- Julien Vermote
- Jorgen Nordhagen
- Menno Huising
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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