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Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) rode solo 12km to the end to win the 2025 Clásica Jaén(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Riders at the assault early within the race(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)The peloton winds throughout the Spanish geographical region(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)The riders early within the 169km one-day race(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Riders kick up mud as they take on one of the most race’s difficult gravel sectors(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Tim Wellens (UAE Group Emirates-XRG) leads a chase staff of riders(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Kwiatkowski main from the entrance over a gravel sector(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Wout van Aert (Visma-Rent A Motorbike) heads up a make a choice staff over the gravel(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Brandon McNulty (UAE Group Emirates-XRG)(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Kwiatkowski went solo 12km from the end(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Kwiatkowski at the street to glory(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Issac Del Toro (UAE Group Emirates-XRG) trailed house in 2d position(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)Ibon Ruiz scored a large podium spot for ProTeam Kern Pharma(Symbol credit score: Getty Photographs)
Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) secured his first win of the season after a solo breakaway on the gravel-heavy Clásica Jaén.
The Polish rider used to be a part of an preliminary breakaway however made his profitable transfer throughout the deep gravel sector within the ultimate 12km and crossed the road 26 seconds forward of his nearest rival in Úbeda.
Isaac Del Toro (UAE Group Emirates-XRG), who first of all shaped a part of a bigger chase staff at the back of Kwiatkowski, bridged throughout to a suffering Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma) with 4km ultimate after which distanced the Spaniard to take 2d position at the day, 31 seconds down.
Ruiz have been within the breakaway for lots of the race, and in spite of a hard-fought efficiency, used to be pressured to accept 3rd position at 42 seconds at the back of the day’s winner.
“I always have to believe that winning is possible. The pace was pretty hard from the second sector and I didn’t expect that, but it was just a small group and we had a lot of support from my team, everyone was racing perfectly and we knew it well,” Kwiatkowski mentioned after his win.
“I was going with the move with [Brandon] McNulty and get to the finish, so I’m proud of how we rode today. I want to dedicate this win to my family. It was a tough couple of months, so it is all for them.”
“[The win] means a lot. Last year, with my lower back injury, I didn’t race a lot and tried to get back. I started racing in Australia in January and had pretty good condition, but I was always missing something to get the victory.
“I spent the closing two weeks coaching in Mallorca. My circle of relatives stayed at house. I know the way a lot sacrifice it’s for my circle of relatives, so it way so much to me to win the race. If it used to be no longer me lately, I believe it might had been some other from my group as a result of we rode nice lately.”
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was initially part of the breakaway with Kwiatkowski and Ruiz, but suffered an untimely puncture under 15km to go over the gravel sector and forced off his bike to receive neutral wheel support.
He lost valuable time and was reabsorbed into the chase group as Kwiatkowski and Ruiz forged ahead in pursuit of the day’s win.
With a strategic shift, UAE Team Emirates-XRG moved its riders to the front of the main 10-rider chase group with Del Torro and Igor Arrieta setting the pace as McNulty drifted to the back of the group of recover from his efforts.
Up front in the breakaway, Kwiatkowski attacked with 12km to go and quickly opened up a gap on Ruiz.
The group behind then split apart at the same time as Del Toro attacked in his own attempt to bridge to the leaders on the road.
Axel Laurance (Ineos Grenadiers), Ben Tulett (Visma-Lease a Bike), Jordan Labrosse (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH), followed by Arrieta tried to respond but ended up forming the main chase group.
McNulty struggled to stay with the surges and was distanced while it has been reported that Egan Bernal crashed and his Ineos Grenadiers teammates Connor Swift and Ben Turner dropped back to support him.
Extra to return…
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