Good try in San Sebastián

Euskaltel did their very best to secure a win in the Clásica San Sebastián yesterday but, in the end, had to settle for a 7th and a 9th place. It was a great performance though, nonetheless, from the team. The race really started 80 kilometres into the race, when a 46-man strong break, including Samu, Haimar, Gorka and the two Pérezs, got clear of the bunch. This group, containing most of the favourites, quickly got a big gap, leaving the guys at the back totally disillusioned. They just as well decided to abandon the whole race, leaving the 46 riders at the front to fight it out for the win. Alán and Rubén both showcased their undoubted team-spirit as they sacrificed themselves for the three others by taking control of the peloton. A flurry of attacks followed at the Alto de Jaizkíbel, but none managed to get away. Both Samu and Haimar tried their luck later on, but it came down to a sprint between 10 riders. Alejandro Valverde easily took out the win, with Samu finishing 7th and Haimar 9th. Gorka came in together with Siutsou and Contador 1:48 adrift. Rubén and Alán, to their grear credit, finished the race, coming home 35th and 45th respectively. Due to his 9th place, Haimar won the "Best Basque"-award, while the team finished 2nd in the team ranks and is now ranked 4th overall. Mikel is still 7th in the individual UCI Pro Tour classifications, while Haimar is 11th. A great day our for the team, but the wins continue to elude them.