Clásica preview

UCI WorldTour leader to defend 2014 title in Donostia; Igeldo / Bordako Tontorra climb again set to decide Basque classic

Just six days after crowning one of the biggest aspirations in his professional career by stepping onto the podium of the Tour de France in Paris, Alejandro Valverde will lead the Movistar Team at the 35th edition of the Clásica San Sebastián. The route of the third Spanish event in the UCI WorldTour calendar stays practically the same, with 219km including the climbs of Iturburu (Cat-1), Jaizkibel (2x, Cat-1), Arkale (2x, Cat-2) and the decisive Igeldo / Bordako Tontorra (Cat-2), only 7km from the finish in the Boulevard Zurriola.

Alongside Valverde, leader of the 2015 WorldTour individual standings and winner of the Basque classic twelve months ago, will be an eight-man group directed by José Luis Arrieta, featuring Colomnbian Winner Anacona -also present in the Tour-, Italian Giovanni Visconti, Australian Rory Sutherland and Spaniards Jesús Herrada, Javi Moreno, Rubén Fernández and José Joaquín Rojas.