Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
The 45th Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa (formerly known as the Clásica San Sebastián) is the Basque Country's marquee one-day WorldTour race — a 219km route from and back to San Sebastián's iconic Concha Bay coastline. The course traverses the Basque hills with multiple categorised climbs in the closing 60km, with the Jaizkibel climb traditionally setting up the decisive moves. Held on Saturday August 1, 2026, the race serves as a crossroads of the season: a final hit-out for Tour de France riders heading into the rest period, and an early-form indicator for those building toward the Vuelta a España.
Where to watch
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Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa
Where the race is made
Who to watch
Narratives to watch
- Tour-de-France crossroads: Held one week after the Tour de France finish, the start list is a mix of TdF post-Tour campaigners and rested classics specialists targeting late-summer form.
- Jaizkibel as the decider: The category-1 Jaizkibel climb is the canonical move-launching ascent. Recent editions have added new climbs in the closing 50km, but Jaizkibel remains the signature.
- Vuelta warm-up: For climbers building toward the Vuelta a España (starting late August), the punchy Basque hills offer the ideal final sharpening race.
- Basque atmosphere: The race finishes in the heart of San Sebastián overlooking the Concha — one of the most distinctive one-day finales in the sport, with traditionally huge crowds.
Form book & lore
First held in 1981, the Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa is one of the modern era's youngest one-day classics but has quickly built prestige — a frequent stop for Vuelta a España GC contenders sharpening form. The race rebranded from 'Clásica San Sebastián' to its current Basque-language name in recent editions to reflect its Basque Country identity.
When to tune in
The final 60km is where the race is decided. Watch the Jaizkibel ascent (~60km from finish) for the first major selection, and then the closing-circuit climbs for solo or small-group attacks. Bunch sprints are rare given the terrain.