Results Clasica San Sebastian 2026 | Remco Evenepoel overcomes bike change drama to beat Richard Carapaz and claim record fourth win
CyclingSaturday, 01 August 2026 at 16:43
Remco Evenepoel overcame a badly timed bike change and two demanding chases before beating Richard Carapaz in a two-man sprint to win the 2026 Clasica San Sebastian.
Evenepoel attacked on the steep Murgil Tontorra after Maxim Van Gils had driven the pace for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, with Carapaz the only rider able to follow the Olympic champion.
The pair crested the final climb around ten seconds ahead of Louis Barre and defending champion Giulio Ciccone before extending their advantage on the descent towards San Sebastian.
Carapaz continued to contribute as the kilometres ticked down, leaving the two leaders with enough of a margin to contest victory between themselves. The Ecuadorian was eventually pushed onto the front inside the final kilometre, giving Evenepoel the position he wanted for the sprint.
Evenepoel launched from Carapaz’s wheel on the finishing straight and comfortably completed his fourth victory from four appearances at the Basque WorldTour Classic. The result moved Evenepoel clear of Marino Lejarreta as the sole record-holder for Clasica San Sebastian victories. His previous successes had come in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Bike change threatens Evenepoel’s record bid
Evenepoel’s winning attack came after his race had appeared in serious danger between Jaizkibel and Erlaitz. The Belgian was forced to change bikes shortly before the steep Erlaitz climb and was left around 30 seconds behind the peloton without a Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe teammate immediately dropping back to help.
Evenepoel chased through the convoy and briefly regained contact, but was still poorly positioned when the attacks began on Erlaitz. Jan Christen made the first acceleration before Louis Barre and Paul Double moved clear. Ciccone then took control at the front and imposed a pace which fragmented the reduced peloton.
Evenepoel was distanced for a second time and again had to chase without significant assistance. He first reached a group containing Christen before bridging the remaining gap himself on the descent.
Once Evenepoel had returned, Van Gils moved immediately to the front and restored order for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. Ciccone had spent heavily on Erlaitz and was without teammates, while several other contenders had already been removed from the front group.
Van Gils continued his work on the approach to Murgil Tontorra and produced another forceful turn on the lower slopes. UAE Team Emirates – XRG had initially set the pace for Christen, but the Belgian’s acceleration stretched the group before Evenepoel made his move. Carapaz responded smoothly, while the other contenders were unable to match the pair on the steepest gradients.
Early escape swept up on Jaizkibel
Eight riders had formed the day’s early breakaway after around 25 kilometres, with Tim Rex joined by Inigo Elosegui, Adne Holter, Valentin Ferron, Lorenzo Quartucci, Nicolas Alustiza, Nickolas Zukowsky and Joan Bou. Their advantage approached three minutes as Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe controlled the peloton through the opening succession of climbs.
The move began to unravel on Jaizkibel, where Rex rode clear alone before being joined by new attackers from the peloton. Van Gils also anticipated alongside Jay Vine, giving Evenepoel a teammate ahead before the decisive climbing sequence.
The front groups were brought back near the summit, although Quartucci had already collected enough points to secure the separate mountains classification. From there, the race was transformed by Evenepoel’s bike change, the aggressive pace on Erlaitz and his prolonged chase back into contention.
Despite spending considerable energy recovering, Evenepoel still had enough strength to distance almost every remaining rival on Murgil Tontorra and enough speed to deny Carapaz at the finish, preserving his perfect Clasica San Sebastian record and becoming the race’s first four-time winner.
Carlos Silva is a writer for CiclismoAtual.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he contributes race reports, interviews, analysis pieces, and live coverage of the international cycling calendar. Holding a degree in Sports from the Jean Piaget Institute, he combines academic knowledge of performance, training, and competition with hands-on journalism experience in professional cycling.
Throughout his career, Carlos has conducted interviews with leading figures in the sport, including Alberto Contador, Joaquim Rodríguez, Óscar Pereiro, João Almeida, Isaac del Toro, Derek Gee, John Degenkolb and Geraint Thomas. These conversations reflect direct engagement with Grand Tour winners, Classics specialists, and emerging talents.
He has provided on-site coverage at major events ranging from the Vuelta a España to the Tour de France, alongside stage races such as Vuelta a Andalucía, Volta ao Algarve, Volta a Portugal and O Gran Camiño. Covering the mythical climbs of the Giro d'Italia remains one of his professional ambitions.
Carlos is responsible for liveblog coverage of all major WorldTour races and beyond, including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. His reporting integrates verified data from ProCyclingStats to ensure statistical accuracy, contextual depth, and analytical precision.
A lifelong cycling enthusiast, he approaches storytelling across written, photographic, and video formats with a focus on credibility, tactical insight, and informed race interpretation.
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