Although he’s not known as a Classics rider, 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre will line out in the Clasica San Sebastian today hoping for a strong performance. A modification to the race route will see the riders complete two ascents of the famous Jaizkibel and Arkale climbs, making the finale considerably tougher than before.
That will play into the hands of those who can climb and who have come out of the Tour de France in good shape. Sastre’s feelings are good after his second Grand Tour of the season and he could be in the reckoning.
"I'm looking forward to this race,” he said, after driving there from his home town of Avila, near Madrid. “I finished the Tour with very good sensations and although this week has been more about rest and recovery than training, I think I'm in good form at the moment.”
Sastre’s best peformance in the race was seventh place in 2007, the last time he took part. He has ridden it six times in all and so knows what to expect from the route. “It will not be easy to improve on that position [seventh], since the lineup is very good and many people will come with good form after the Tour, but I hope to be with them. The double passage over Jaizkibel and Arkale will be very important in the selection.”
He’s undecided about his programme after that, with a decision on the Vuelta still having to be made. If he rides it, it will be his third Grand Tour of the season, but he has done the triple before and been solid in all three. After taking eighth overall in the Giro and 20th in the Tour, he appears up to the idea of riding the Spanish race, but said that this will depend on which riders are named in support of him.
“The team has not yet decided the squad that will ride the Vuelta, as that will be done after the Tours of Poland and Denmark,” he explained. “I finished the Tour in good shape and have the desire to race there [the Vuelta], but I will only do it if it have a competitive team around me.”
Sastre is 35 years of age and has been a professional since 1998. He’s nearing the end of his career and would like to take a few more big results before hanging up his wheels.