The organisers of Clásica San Sebastian have introduced a new climb to this year’s route in a bid to avoid the incident which marred last year’s race when Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing) was hit by a race motorbike on a narrow climb.
On Bordako Tontorra, the final climb of last year’s race, Van Avermaet was leading the race when he was hit by a motorbike who tried to pass him on the narrow climb. The Belgian rider was forced out of the race, as Adam Yates (Orica–GreenEDGE) attacked and went on to win.
The organisers have removed Bordako Tontorra from this year’s route and replaced it with a different climb – the Murgil Bidea. The new climb is short at just 1.9 kilometres but it is steep. It’s average gradient is 10.5% with the final 600 metres averaging 12.5% and a maximum gradient of 19%.
The new addition to the route is wider than the climb of Bordako Tontorra though and the organisers are hopeful that this will help to avoid a similar incident to last year.
Van Avermaet will line up on one of the strongest teams in the race as also included in the BMC Racing Team line-up are Samuel Sanchez, Richie Porte and 2011 winner Philippe Gilbert who was third last year.
