A sharp, tactical one-day race in the Basque hills where positioning and timing matter more than raw power.
DSSK Women Donostia San Sebastián is a one-day 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: Clásica San Sebastián Women | Clasica San Sebastian Women | DSSK Women Donostia San Sebastián
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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.
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.
A demanding one-day race through the hills of the Basque Country, featuring climbs shared with the men's Clasica San Sebastian.
The route combines coastal roads near the Bay of Biscay with steep inland climbs, testing both positioning and sustained climbing.
Most recent winner: Annemiek van Vleuten
Lucy Kennedy took a surprise solo victory in the first women's edition.
Annemiek van Vleuten attacked solo and won in dominant fashion in what proved to be the final edition.
Won the final edition in 2021 with a characteristic solo attack on the Basque climbs.
Surprise inaugural winner in 2019, soloing to victory.
The iconic Basque coastal climb near the French border, a key selection point shared with the men's race.
A brutally steep finishing climb used in the 2021 edition.
