The biggest race in cycling – the Tour de France – is over. Time for a rest? No.
This week has two races: the Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian in Spain and the seven-day Tour de Pologne:
The Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian will celebrate its 38th edition on Saturday (4th) and the route for 2018 is fixed at 228.7 km over a hilly course with eight defined climbs.
Four prior champions and six former medal winners are among the starters:
- Bauke Mollema (NED) ~ winner in 2016, third in 2017
- Tony Gallopin (FRA) ~ winner in 2015, second in 2016-17
- Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) ~ winner in 2010 and 2012
- Adam Yates (GBR) ~ winner in 2015
- Greg van Avermaet (BEL) ~ second in 2011
Simon Gerrans (AUS) ~ second in 2012
The big names in the race include the Tour de France fourth-placer Primoz Roglic (SLO) and King of the Mountains winner Julian Alaphilippe (FRA).
The climbs are not extreme, but could be enticing for emerging stars from the Tour de France like Egan Bernal (COL) or Pierre Latour (FRA), or for veterans who didn’t do much in France, such as Rigoberto Uran (COL), maybe Daryl Impey (RSA) or Michael Matthews (AUS).
Or, it could be time for someone who didn’t ride in Le Tour, like Italy’s Diego Ulissi. Look for results here.
The Tour de Pologne is a much older race, with the 75th edition starting Saturday in Krakow. The stages:
- 04 August: Stage 1 Krakow to Krakow (133.7 km)
- 05 August: Stage 2 Tarnowskie Gory to Katowice (156.0 km)
- 06 August: Stage 3 Stadion Slaski to Zabrze (140.0 km)
- 07 August: Stage 4 Jaworzno to Szczyrk (179.0 km)
- 08 August: Stage 5 Kopalnia Soli to Bielsko-Biala (152.0 km)
- 09 August: Stage 6 Zakopane to Bukovina (129.0 km)
- 10 August: Stage 7 Bukowvina Resort to Bukowina Tatrzanska (136 km)
There are 11 prior medal winners in the field, but only two former champions: Dylan Teuns (BEL: 2017) and Moreno Moser (ITA: 2012). Prior runner-ups include Grega Bole (SLO), Michal Kwiatkowski (POL), Daniel Moreno (ESP), Fabio Felline (ITA) and Lars Yttig Bak (DEN).
The field is quite good, with RideLondon-Surrey Classic winner Pascal Ackermann (GER) and a batch of multi-stage racers who did not compete in France, such as Segio Henao (COL), Fabio Aru (ITA), Rui Costa (POR) and Rohan Dennis (AUS).
Count on Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen to contend on the sprint stages. Look for results here.
After the Tour de Pologne, there are only two more races – the Binck Bank Tour and the Euroeyes Cyclassics Hamburg – before the final Grand Tour of 2018, the Vuelta a Espana, starts on 25 August.