Big favorite of the Basque cycling classic, Remco Evenepoel did not disappoint: the Belgian signed a record treble on Saturday by winning the Clasica San Sebastian where he had already won in 2019 and 2022, a successful warm-up lap at the approaching the Worlds in Glasgow, Scotland.
With his third coronation on the circuit, snatched from the Basque Pello Bilbao, Remco Evenepoel equaled the record of the Spaniard Marino Lejarreta who distinguished himself there during the 80s. The Russian Aleksandr Vlasov finished third, 28 seconds behind.
Winner of the 10th stage of the Tour de France in Issoire, Bilbao fought until the finish but could not compete with the power of Evenepoel in the last 200 meters.
After a second consecutive victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, but forced to retire in the Tour of Italy in May, the 23-year-old Belgian confirms his status as favorite for the road race of the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow (August 3-13).
Like last year, the rainbow jersey woke up on the Erlaitz coast (4 km at more than 10%), 70km from the finish, where it rallied the fugitives then in the lead , Romain Bardet and Nathan Van Hooydonck, pulling Aleksandr Vlasov, Pello Bilbao and Alberto Bettiol in his wake.
But in the penultimate ascent of Mendizorrotz, only Vlasov and Bilbao managed to stay in the wheel of the world champion. Escaped for long kilometres, Romain Bardet could not keep up the pace. Then it was Aleksandr Vlasov’s turn to give in, while Bilbao held on.
After Glasgow, Evenepoel is particularly expected on the roads of the Vuelta (August 26-September 17), in Spain, where he will also put his title back into play. But the competition promises to be tough against the Jumbo-Visma armada led by Tour de France winners Jonas Vingegaard and Giro Primoz Roglic.
