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Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa 2026 Preview | Route, Startlist, Favorites

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Remco Evenepoel

Three-time winner (2019, 2022, 2023) who treats this race as a genuine target, not a cooldown.

Giulio Ciccone

Defending champion who won in 2025 with a solo attack on Murgil Tontorra.

Marc Hirschi

Won in 2024 and has the power to force the race on the late Basque climbs.

Jan Christen

Runner-up in 2025, developing rapidly as a one-day threat on punchy climbing terrain.

Isaac del Toro

Animated the 2025 race on Erlaitz and has the climbing ability to contend if he targets it.

Maxim Van Gils

Third in 2025, fits the punchy climber profile that thrives on Basque terrain.

Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa 2026

The 2026 Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa sends riders through roughly 210 km of Basque Country terrain, with Jaizkibel, Erlaitz, and Murgil Tontorra shaping the decisive final hour. Giulio Ciccone returns as defending champion after his solo attack on Murgil Tontorra in 2025.

This is the first WorldTour one-day race after the Tour de France, and the field depends heavily on who emerges from July with form and motivation. Remco Evenepoel has won three times here. Jan Christen and Isaac del Toro are developing into serious threats on this terrain. Marc Hirschi proved in 2024 that raw power on the late climbs can settle it.

The route profile favors climbers who can sprint from a small group, or solo riders willing to commit over the top of Murgil Tontorra with 8 km left. Pure sprinters almost never win. The Basque heat and narrow roads add fatigue that compounds through the repeated climbs.

The startlist is not yet confirmed. Check back as the post-Tour calendar takes shape.