Team HTC-Columbia Targets Breakaways in 2010 Clasica San Sebastian
Team HTC-Columbia will target the breakaways in this Saturday's Clásica San Sebastian 2010 in Spain, according to Sports Director Allan Peiper.
Team HTC-Columbia will target the breakaways in this Saturday's Clásica San Sebastian 2010 in Spain, according to Sports Director Allan Peiper.
"They've completely restructured the last part of the course, with a double ascent of the Jaizkebel climb, and that makes it far more likely we see a move of a just a few riders at the head of the race staying away. For [HTC-Columbia's] Michael Rogers and Kanstantsin Sivtsov, that's good, because they've come out of the Tour de France with that extra racing form you always get from racing a major stage race. Kanstantsin is in particularly good shape. He always keeps his cool in tricky finishes, too, and this very hilly new finale is a bit like the stage of the Tour of Italy he won a couple of years back. We know the Spanish will be very motivated - they always are for San Sebastian. But we'll be trying as hard as we can to get in those late breaks so we've got a fighting chance."
San Sebastian's hot, humid summer weather plays a big role in a race with four major climbs in the last fifty kilometres. "It was a very tough event anyway, with really high temperatures to deal with as well when the race headed for its first loop inland, and now they've made the route even tougher. Whoever wins it, it won't be by chance."
Team HTC-Columbia roster for 2010 San Sebastian Classic: Gert Dockx (Bel), Matt Goss (Aus), Rasmus Guldhammer (Den), Marco Pinotti (Ita), Michael Rogers (Aus), Hayden Roulston (NZ), Kanstantsin Siutsou (Byl), Tejay Van Garderen (USA).