On the 30th of July the World Tour peloton will get back on the road, leaving behind the Tour de France and going into Spain with a big variety of classics and stage-races. One will be the Clásica San Sebastián which will see the climbers and puncheurs come to the front in a battle for serious points.
The route will total a long 223 kilometers on the road with over 4000 meters of climbing which will leave the climbers and puncheurs as the main favourites. The race sees a lot of climbs early on, although it never goes into the high mountains, instead going through some hilly roads, and the final 70 kilometers will decided the outcome with three key climbs.
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The first is the Jaizkibel, 7.4 kilometers long at 5.8% and summits with 63 kilometers to go, with a rather technical descent afterwards. The second will be Erlaitz with it’s summit at 43Km to go, it averages over 10% for 4 kilometers, differences can be made, attacks can be dealt and serious damage can be created for the race’s outcome.
Over the last few years the crucial point has become the Alto de Murgil. the riders look to save their legs for the final 900 meters of the climb where the gradients are vicious, up to 18% - officially it is 2.0Km at 9.9%, and summits with 8 kilometers to go. From there on it's a mere descent and fast run-in back into the city center for the riders to cross the line.
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The final startlist includes: Alberto Bettiol, Rigoberto Urán, Ruben Guerreiro, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Daniel Martínez, Carlos Rodriguez, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar, João Almeida, Juan Ayuso, Matej Mohoric, Wout Poels, Domenico Pozzovivo, Bauke Mollema, Tiesj Benoot, Tom Dumoulin, Simon Yates, Michael Matthews, Andreas Kron, Vincenzo Nibali, Guillaume Martin, Alejandro Valverde, Alex Aranburu, Soren Kragh Andersen, Patrick Bevin, David Gaudu, Jai Hindley, Emanuel Buchmann, Wilco Kelderman and Max Schachmann.
Donostia-San Sebastián - Donostia-San Sebastián, 223 kilometers
CyclingUpToDate prediction:
**** Tadej Pogacar
*** Remco Evenepoel, Simon Yates
** Bauke Mollema, Alejandro Valverde, David Gaudu
* Juan Ayuso, Carlos Rodriguez, João Almeida, Max Schachmann
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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