A late-summer one-day race in the Basque Country
Clásica San Sebastián Women
A sharp, tactical one-day race in the Basque hills where positioning and timing matter more than raw power.
- Location
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Course
- Race
- Most recent winner
- 🇳🇱 Annemiek van Vleuten (2021)
- Also known as
- Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa Women
- Category
- Race
About Clásica San Sebastián Women
Clásica San Sebastián Women, also listed as DSSK Women Donostia San Sebastián, is a one-day bike race held in Spain's Basque Country in early August. The course runs through the rolling terrain around San Sebastián, where short climbs and technical descents reward riders who can read the race and place themselves well in the closing circuits.
Also known as: Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa Women · DSSK Women Donostia San Sebastián
This is Basque Country racing: steep enough to hurt, technical enough to split the field, and compact enough that the finale arrives quickly. The race sits in the calendar's late-summer window when form is either sharpening toward autumn or beginning to fray, which makes it a useful test for riders targeting the world championships or looking to close their season with momentum.
Clásica San Sebastián Women winners
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 🇳🇱Annemiek van Vleuten |
| 2019 | 🇦🇺Lucy Kennedy |
Current edition
The next edition is not published yet. Check the race directory and calendar for the next confirmed listing.
Clásica San Sebastián Women route
The course typically features multiple laps of a circuit that includes short, punchy climbs and narrow, twisting descents. The terrain is not long enough to favor pure climbers, but it is steep and repetitive enough to shed riders who cannot handle repeated accelerations or who lose position on the technical sections. Wins often come from small groups or solo moves launched on the final lap, when the cumulative fatigue of the circuit begins to show. Positioning into the last climb is critical, and riders who hesitate or drift too far back rarely have the road space to recover. The Basque weather in August can be unpredictable, and rain changes the descents significantly.
What shapes the race
Basque climbing test
A demanding one-day race through the hills of the Basque Country, featuring climbs shared with the men's Clasica San Sebastian.
Coastal and mountain terrain
The route combines coastal roads near the Bay of Biscay with steep inland climbs, testing both positioning and sustained climbing.
Signature landmarks
- Climb
Jaizkibel
The iconic Basque coastal climb near the French border, a key selection point shared with the men's race.
- Summit finish
Murgil Tontorra
A brutally steep finishing climb used in the 2021 edition.
History
Memorable editions
- 2019
Inaugural edition
Lucy Kennedy took a surprise solo victory in the first women's edition.
- 2021
Van Vleuten dominates
Annemiek van Vleuten attacked solo and won in dominant fashion in what proved to be the final edition.
Iconic victories
Annemiek van Vleuten
Won the final edition in 2021 with a characteristic solo attack on the Basque climbs.
Lucy Kennedy
Surprise inaugural winner in 2019, soloing to victory.
Eras and records
Only two editions held (2019, 2021) before the race was replaced by Itzulia Women.
Total editions
Two (2019 and 2021). The race was discontinued when the Basque cycling federation shifted to the Itzulia Women stage race.