Pello Bilbao came within touching distance of the podium in his final appearance at the Clasica San Sebastian, finishing fifth and receiving the award as the race’s best Basque rider.

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull–BORA) made history by becoming the first rider to win the race four times, beating Richard Carapaz (EF Education) in a two-up sprint at the finish in San Sebastian. Ben Tulett (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) completed the podium.

The 221.1-kilometre route featured more than 4,150 metres of climbing, with the race gradually splitting over the final climbs. Evenepoel and Carapaz moved clear on Murgil Tontorra, while Bilbao remained in contention behind and sprinted to fifth place.

Jakob Omrzel also delivered a promising performance on his debut at the Basque Classic, remaining in the front group deep into the finale.

After the finish, Bilbao was honoured by the race organisers alongside Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) and Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek), with all three riders making their final appearance at the Clasica San Sebastian before retiring at the end of the season.

Pello Bilbao said:

“Incredible to be so close to the podium today. I came here with zero expectations, simply wanting to enjoy the day, knowing it would be my last opportunity to race this very special event for me, and with the idea of helping Jakob, who is coming through so strongly. We raced well and we raced smart. On many occasions, we had to come from behind rather than being among the strongest, but we were racing at home and with a special energy. By surviving, hanging on and never giving up, I was even able to come from behind again on the final climb.

I didn’t really know what position we were fighting for, but it didn’t matter. I was only thinking about producing my best sprint, fighting all the way and entering the final corner in a good position. In the end, finishing so close to the podium was a bit frustrating in the moment, but we exceeded expectations, at least from my side. I’m happy, and it’s another step forward in my preparation for the Vuelta.”

Sports Director Enrico Gasparotto was pleased with the way the team raced and praised both Bilbao and Omrzel for their performances. He added:

“I think we’re coming home with a good result, which was our goal today. For Jakob, it was his first experience in such a hard one-day race, and I think he did really well. He even tried to go for the podium with around two kilometres to go, but Visma didn’t let him get away.

I’m also really happy with Pello’s performance in his last dance here in San Sebastian, in front of his home fans. Before the race, he had some doubts about his legs and his condition, but Pello is a super clever rider. He never wastes energy for nothing, and on a day like today, with more than 4,000 metres of climbing, experience makes a huge difference.

That’s why I think Pello did a great job. I think he’s happy with today’s result, even if finishing so close to the podium leaves a slightly bitter feeling. For me, it was a really strong performance from our guys. They did exactly what we talked about in last night’s meeting, and they did everything right.”