SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain, Aug 2, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Italy's Giulio Ciccone won the prestigious San Sebastian classic on Saturday when his acceleration late on the final climb was too much for his rivals.

Veteran climber Ciccone had to drop UAE riders Jan Christen and Isaac del Toro to win his first one-day World Tour race, crossing the line in the seaside town after an 8km solo effort.

Christen was second at 9sec, with Maxim Van Gils, Tiesj Benoot and Del Toro all at 1min 19sec, rounding out the top five.

Ciccone was part of a 12-rider break that had a two-minute lead before the Murgil Tontorra climb where Del Toro appeared to be the strongest until the Italian attacked at a steep section.

"I thought Del Toro was going to attack, but when I saw that he was dropping I tried to go full gas and from there until the finish, it was an intense effort," Ciccone said.

Ciccone had been one of the favourites at the Giro d'Italia in May but pulled out after a heavy fall.

"I didn't expect to win right away, but I knew my performance was good, that I had recovered well, and that we were doing a great job with the whole team," he said.

This was the first World Tour men's race since the Tour de France and featured a large swathe of riders who contested the 21-day race.