Kwiatkowski wins solo Spanish Strade Bianche, Van Aert sacrifices his chances for teammates

Michael Kwiatkowski has won the Clásica Jaén. The Pole of INEOS Grenadiers attacked with Brandon McNulty more than sixty kilometers before the finish. Kwiatkowski eventually managed the solo to cash in on his attack. Isaac del Toro took second place, while Ibon Ruiz, part of the early breakaway, finished nicely in third place.

After the Clásica de Almería, the next Spanish one-day race was already on the program today. In the Clásica Jaén, also known as the mini-Strade Bianche, the riders faced ten unpaved sections in the last 90 kilometers, totaling more than thirty kilometers of gravel. This suited Wout van Aert, who is making his season debut.

Seven riders soon went on the attack. The leading group, mainly of Spaniards, had a five-minute lead on the peloton on the first gravel strip. Approaching the first strip, the riders from Visma | Lease a Bike and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale showed themselves at the front of the peloton and quickly managed to reduce the lead to three minutes at a fast pace.

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UAE and Visma split the field on the second gravel part

The pace picked up again on the second gravel section, causing the peloton to break up. Sepp Kuss, Egan Bernal, and Tim Wellens pushed hard, causing many riders to drop back. With 65 kilometers to go, a group of twenty riders remained. Michał Kwiatkowski and Brandon McNulty managed to break away from that group and catch up to the three remaining leaders, for whom the pace was quickly too high.

With an INEOS and a UAE rider in the lead, the responsibility lay with Visma | Lease a Bike. The Dutch team had been caught off guard and had to chase. In addition to Kuss and Van Aert, Ben Tulett was also in the group, but the situation was far from ideal. They had to start the chase, but who would bring it home?

After all, the leader did not have a good day. It soon became apparent that Van Aert would not play a significant role today. Forty kilometers from the finish, he even rode before his teammates, but victory seemed far away. Kwiatkowski, McNulty, and the last remaining leader, Ibon Ruiz, had a lead of forty seconds. Visma was also alone, surrounded by four INEOS and four UAE riders. Jordan Labrosse and Nicolas Prodhomme also represented Decathlon-AG2R but kept to the background.

Van Aert rode strongly at the front of the race. He reduced the gap to the chasers to twenty seconds before he gave up the chase with thirty kilometers to go. By that time, however, Tulett was alone at the front, which meant the attack was on. The Brit managed to hold his own, but there was no question of a chase. Tulett was alone in his pursuit with ten men on his wheel.

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McNulty drops back, and Kwiatkowski deals with Ruiz

What should have been an exciting battle between Kwiatkowski, McNulty, and the surprisingly strong Ruiz took an unexpected turn. With a one-minute lead, the three seemed to be heading for a battle for the victory, but on the second-to-last stretch of gravel, disaster struck: McNulty got a flat tire. In the blink of an eye, the race changed completely. UAE lost its front runner and suddenly had to start chasing, while McNulty dropped back and joined the chasing group.

At the front, Kwiatkowski did not remain idle. He pressured Ruiz, who fought bravely but eventually had to let go. UAE hoped to make amends through Isaac del Toro, and the Mexican took a chance on a late attack on Kwiatkowski. But no matter how hard he tried, he did not come close. The experienced and demanding Polish rider kept his pace steady and did his job well. In the last kilometers, he rode solo to a well-deserved victory.

Results Clásica Jaén 2025

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