It was held on 14 August 2012, over a distance of 234 km (145.4 mi), starting and finishing in San Sebastián, in the Basque Country, Spain.

It was the twenty-first event of the 2012 UCI World Tour season.

The race was won for the second time in three years by Rabobank rider Luis León Sánchez after making a late-race attack on the descent from the Alto de Arkale.

[3][4] As the Clásica de San Sebastián was a UCI World Tour event, all 18 UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad.

Two other squads – Andalucía and Caja Rural – were given wildcard places into the race, and as such, formed the event's 20-team peloton.