Spaniard Carlos Barredo won the Clasica San Sebastian on Saturday when he used some crafty tactics in the last of his three late attacks to secure the biggest victory of his career.
The Quick Step rider outsprinted Czech Roman Kreuziger after the duo had powered away close to the finish of the rain-soaked 237km Classic, Spain’s biggest one-day race.
France’s Mickael Delage led in the main chase group seven seconds behind for third.
PHOTO: AFP
“I had to take a lot of risks to win this race, but it finally paid off,” Barredo told reporters. “First I attacked with [Frenchman Pierrick] Fedrigo, then a second time with [Spaniard Luis Leon] Sanchez and last of all with Kreuziger.”
“In the last kilometer I pretended I had run out of energy, then surprised him with a late sprint,” he said. “You’ve got to be crafty like that in cycling if you want to win.”
With his previous best win a stage in Paris-Nice last year, the 28-year-old Barredo said his victory was “the biggest of my career so far and hopefully a turning point.”
Barredo dedicated the victory to his team.
“We had a poor Tour de France, and this victory puts us back on the map,” he said.
Runner-up Kreuziger said he was disappointed at losing so narrowly and that he had lost focus in the final kilometer.
“I was more worried we’d get caught by a chase group than about sprinting against Barredo and that probably cost me the win,” he told reporters.
Several riders, amongst them Barredo, crashed on the waterlogged descent of the Jaizkebel climb, 30km from the finish.
“I hit my left thigh and knee quite badly when I came off,” Barredo said. “But fortunately I got back on my bike quickly and could stay in the front of the race.”
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