Hirschi foils Alaphilippe at San Sebastian classic

Swiss rider Marc Hirschi won the San Sebastian one-day classic on Saturday by edging Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe at the line after a 236-kilometre slog around the Basque Country.

Hirschi, 25, combined with UAE Emirates teammate Pavel Sivakov to tire Alaphilippe over the final kilometres.

Lennert Van Eetvelt of Belgium was third at seven seconds while Kevin Vermaerke of the United States was fourth at 17sec and Ecuador's Jhonatan Narvaez fifth at 25sec.

Sivakov reached the penultimate summit with a 20sec lead on a group of a dozen riders, including Alaphilippe.

The 32-year-old caught and passed Sivakov on a steep final climb 7km from the line but was accompanied on his downhill dash by Hirschi, who foiled him in the seafront finish at San Sebastian.

Alaphilippe was racing in the Basque Country hours after his boss at team Soudal-Quick Step Patrick Lefevere had told Belgian daily Het Nieuwsblad the rider was leaving the outfit after a decade.

Alaphilippe is a two-time world champion who enjoyed a tilt at the Tour de France title in 2019 with 14 days in the leader's yellow jersey.