The Ineos Grenadiers rider, a former UCI Road World Champion, shines between olive trees.
It took nearly 70 kilometres on the attack for Michal Kwiatwkoski to reach Úbeda well ahead everybody else, yet the occasion was worth his effort as he conquered the fourth edition of the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior to bring home the Golden Olive awarded to every winner of the event sponsored by the Diputación de Jaén. The Polish cyclist triumphed over Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates), whose late solo effort fell short, and Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma), a survivor from the day’s main breakaway.
Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) raises the Golden Olive.
By Juan Antonio Higueras
89 riders took part in the 4th edition of the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior, held over a 169-kilometre course both starting and finishing in the UNESCO World Heritage City of Úbeda, with 10 ‘Caminos de Olivos’ (gravel sectors) in the second half of the race route. The star-studded peloton featured the three teams that have won all 10 latest editions of the Tour de France: Visma | Lease a Bike, with Wout van Aert; UAE Team Emirates, with Tim Wellens; and Ineos Grenadiers with Egan Bernal, a Yellow Jersey himself.
It took nearly half an hour of racing for a group to finally go up the road, with Clément Alleno (Burgos Burpellet BH), Julen Arriolabengoa (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Yentl Vandevelde (Flanders-Baloise), Edgar Curto, Ricard Fitó (Illes Balears-Arabay), Adrián Benito (Spanish National U23 Team) and Ibon Ruiz (Equipo Kern Pharma). The seven-strong breakaway enjoyed a gap of 5’00” by kilometre 63, when Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale and Visma took the reins and set a demanding pace in the bunch.
Julen Arriolabengoa leads the break at Vandelvira.
By Sprint Cycling
The front group took on the first Camino de Olivos, Vandelvira (km 79,7; 1,2 km), with 3’25” on the peloton. Their gap was brought down to 2’00” by the start of Mar de Olivos (km 97; 5,1 km), where Arriolabengoa and Ruiz accelerated to form a front duo while the UAE Team Emirates cyclists launched several attacks behind to reduce the peloton down to 25 riders. It was at Úbeda (km 102,4) that Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) and Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) managed to put some daylight between them and the favorite’s group, led by Visma.
Michal Kwiatkowski drives the break in Santa Eulalia.
By Juan Antonio Higueras
Ruiz and Arriolabengoa hit Juancaballo (km 108,5; 3,7 km) with 20” on McNulty and Kwiatkowski and 1’00” on the small chasing peloton, and were joined at the front by their two chasers just as they quit the gravel. There were unsuccessful attacks, left and right, between the favorites at Santa Eulalia (km 115,3; 2,5 km). Later on, in Guadalupe (km 153,2; 6,2 km), Arriolabengoa got dropped from the break as Van Aert took the reins in the chasing group to drive it on cruise mode and frustrate every attacker, reducing the gap down to 30” by Vandelvira (km 131,8; 1,2 km).
As Van Aert ceased his pursuit at kilometre 138, with 31 to go, the chasing group entered a chaotic dynamic that didn’t help them reduce the leaders’ advantage in Juancaballo (km 143,2; 3,7 km). The gap went up to 50” after Santa Eulalia (km 150; 2,5 km). Right at the beginning of Guadalupe (km 153,2; 6,2 km), McNulty suffered a flat tyre that put him out of contention, leaving Kwiatkowski and Ruiz alone at the front. The Polish rider powered away solo midway through the gravel sector, with 12 kilometers to go, as Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) hit the afterburners to quit the anarchic chasing group.
McNulty, Kwiatkowski and Ruiz ride through olive trees.
By Sprint Cycling
Del Toro’s effort enabled him to overtake Ruiz in the final Camino de Olivos, Vandelvira (km 166,5; 1,2 km), yet it fell short as far as Kwiatkowski was concerned. The 2014 UCI Road World Champion thus managed to land an excellent victory and join Alexey Lutsenko, Tadej Pogačar and Oier Lazkano in the palmares of the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior, and was escorted on the podium by Del Toro and Ruiz. Ineos Grenadiers won the team classification too, yet they also received some bad news as Egan Bernal crashed out of the race and was taken to hospital for closer examination.
Isaac del Toro, Michal Kwiatkowski and Ibon Ruiz, on the final podium.
By Sprint Cycling
QUOTES
Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers): “The pace was super high from the second gravel sector, and I didn't expect things to get started that early. There was just a small group and we had numbers on it. Everybody on my team was racing perfectly, and we knew we could do it well. I'm proud of how we rode today and I want to dedicate this victory to my family, as we went through a tough couple of months. This victory means a lot for me. Last year I had a lower back injury and I didn't race for such a long time. I was in pretty good condition already in Australia, but something was always missing to get the victory. I spent the last two weeks training in Mallorca. My family stays at home, so I know how much sacrifices they make for me. It means a lot to me that I'm back on the level of winning races. I think that, had it not been me, some other guy from my team would have deserved to win because we all raced pretty well today.”
This picture captures the beauty of this Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior.
By Sprint Cycling
