August 1/09 12:46 pm - Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian: Hesjedal 5th
Posted by Editoress on 08/1/09
Brief results from Spain
| San Sebastian to San Sebastian, 237km | |
| 1 Carlos Barredo (Esp) Quick Step | 5:36:59 |
| 2 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas | at s.t. |
| 3 Mickaël Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto | 0:07 |
| 4 Peter Velits (Svk) Milram | |
| 5 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Slipstream | |
| 6 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Katusha | |
| 7 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 8 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Katusha | |
| 9 Rubén Pérez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi | |
| 10 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Columbia-HTC | all s.t. |
| 63 Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia - Highroad | 10:52 |
| 64 Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Slipstream | s.t. |
Columbia-HTC preview
Columbia-HTC's Michael Barry started his second half of the season in the hilly Clásica San Sebastian one-day race in Spain on Saturday. After a break following the Giro d'Italia, the Canadian rider feels optimistic about his chances, even if the 237-kilometre event is one of the toughest and hilliest Classics of the calendar.
"It's been quite a while since I've been racing and this is quite a tough event to get going in again, but I've trained hard and I feel like I'm in good shape," Barry commented. "I've ridden the Clásica seven times and it's never easy to predict how this race is going to work out. You've always got to be very attentive. Last year the bunch split halfway round, all the favourites were in the front group and they stayed away to the finish. Other times it's a bit more formulaic and the early break normally gets pulled in on the Jaizkebel, the biggest climb of the race. But then you can't say what'll happen afterwards. Sometimes a little break tends to get away on the descent or close to the finish. Sometimes it's a bunch sprint. The weather's always a factor because it's so variable. Last year, when that big group of riders got away, it was really hot. This time it's forecast to rain."
"Other years maybe we've lacked some firepower in San Sebastian, but this time around, I think it's a different story," comments team manager Rolf Aldag. "George [Hincapie] would have been an obvious choice, but he's got to recover from his broken collarbone from the Tour. Fortunately we do have other options. Thomas [Lovkvist] has just won a stage in the Tour of Saxony and is in good shape, and Kim [Kirchen] was getting better and better as the Tour continued. One way or another, we'll have somebody up there in the action for sure."
Columbia-HTC for Clasica San Sebastian: Michael Barry (Can); Kim Kirchen (Lux); Thomas Lovkvist (Swe); Marco Pinotti (Ita); Morris Possoni (Ita); Frantisek Rabon (Cze); Vicente Reynes .
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