Already the rider with the most victories in the 2011 season, Philippe Gilbert increased his season total to a very considerable fourteen when he soloed to a superb victory in today’s Clasica San Sebastian. The 29 year old Omega Pharma Lotto rider was part of a select group which was thinned down on the Alto de Jaizkibel climb, made it into a smaller ten man leading move on the descent of the Alto de Arkale, then waited for the correct moment when Carlos Barredo (Rabobank) went clear seven kilometres from the finish.
Gilbert didn’t panic when the Spaniard pulled out a decent lead, holding back until 3.7 kilometres from the line. He kicked hard on a drag then, instantly pulling clear of the break and being too strong for Frank Schleck (Leopard Trek), who tried in vain to drag him back.
Gilbert rapidly caught and passed Barredo and fended off a chase by Samuez Scanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) and Haimar Zubeldia (RadioShack), opening up a very considerable lead. He took his time to celebrate on the finishing straight, yet still finished twelve seconds clear of a persistent Barredo and a further two ahead of Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team), Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha), Dries Devenyns (QuickStep) and Schleck.
It was an authoritative, dominant win, and one which further underlines his current position as king of the one-day races.
Van Avermaet had hoped to fight for the win after his overall victory in the Tour de Wallonie. He was in the running and good enough for a top three finish but, like the others, had no answer to Gilbert’s strength.
“I felt really good after suffering on the Jaizkibel (Cat. 1 climb)," Van Avermaet said. "I was putting everything on my sprint because I knew I was one of the fastest guys in front. But I was also hoping (Samuel) Sanchez and (Frank) Schleck could close the gap to Gilbert.”
Quick Step’s Dries Devenyns was also one of the strongest behind the winner. “I rode a good race,” he said. “On the Jaizkibel I stuck with the best without any particular difficulty. Today the podium was within my reach; it would have been a great result for me and the team, which worked really well today. When Gilbert took off I wasn’t on his wheel, but it would have been really difficult to keep up with him anyway if I had been.”
Even though he didn’t get to stand on the podium, he was feeling upbeat afterwards and optimistic about what is ahead for him. “I’m satisfied with my race. After the Tour I was mostly thinking about resting and regaining my physical and mental strength, even though I was doing some important workouts,” he said. “Now I’m going to the Eneco Tour. My aim is to try and stand out in at least one stage.”
Less pleased was Damiano Cunego, who cracked on the second ascent of the big climb. “I had good feelings in the early part of the race, that's why my team mates worked on the head of the bunch,” he said. “Then, I understood that my legs were not so good and, despite my efforts, I could not be with the top riders on Jaizkibel.”
Early move pre-empts battle of the Big Guns:
The first big break of the day went clear just over ten kilometres after the drop of the flag when Garmin-Cervélo’s Brazilian national champion Murilo Fisher, Irish title holder Matt Brammeier (HTC Highroad), Klaas Lodewyck (Omega Pharma-Lotto), Karsten Kroon (BMC Racing Team), Eloy Ruiz (Andalucia Caja Rural) and Julian Sanchez Pimienta (Caja Rural) pushed ahead. The peloton believed it was too soon to make a move and allowed the gap to grow to ten minutes, although Sanchez’s Euskaltel Euskadi team then clicked into action to start to bring their advantage down.
Once onto the first ascent of the Jaizkibel climb, Ruiz and Brammeier slipped back. The group was further reduced on the Alto de Arkale, where Fischer, Kroon and Lodewyck pressed on ahead. The latter was then dropped on the second ascent of the Jaizkibel; behind, Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel Euskadi) followed on from a short-lived attack by Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale), lighting the blue touchpaper when he blazed clear.
He made it across to the leaders with 40 kilometres remaining, then soon dropped them. Barredo was chasing hard behind , but it was Gilbert and Frank Schleck who managed to bridge across to Sanchez. Other riders also got across, making it a front group of approximately ten riders with 38 kilometres remaining.
Sanchez was feeling good and surged once again, taking Dries Devenyns (Quick Step) and Jelle Vanendert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) clear. This set of riders was seven seconds ahead starting the descent, where a regrouping of the favourites happened. In total approximately 30 riders were still in contention at that point, a higher than expected number.
Former Belgian champion Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil-DCM) was feeling good and kicked clear, building a lead of over half a minute heading towards the second ascent of the Alto de Arkale. Gilbert didn’t want to give him too much leeway and set off in pursuit with a small group, Ivan Basso (Liquigas Cannondale), Van Avermaet, Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard Trek) and Gilbert’s team-mate, the Tour de France stage winner Jelle Vanendert.
The latter attacked on the climb and bridged across to Devolder, as did Haimar Zubeldia (RadioShack). Those two chasers were at the front going over the top but were reeled in on the descent, less than ten kilometres from the line. Many big guns were present, and Barredo decided to seize his chance rather than wait until the sprint. He jumped ahead seven kilometres from the line and was riding strongly; however Gilbert had plenty more left to give and when he jumped, neither Barredo nor the others could do anything about it.
The Belgian scorched clear to take win number fourteen of the year, illustrating yet again that he is currently by far the best one day rider in the world.