Kwiatkowski wins solo Spanish Strade Bianche, Van Aert sacrifices his chances for teammates
CyclingMonday, 17 February 2025 at 18:02
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Follow us on GoogleMichael 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.
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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
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- - Love the Simmons/Jorgenson/Powless trio for USA. That’s a lot of horsepower to keep Brandon fresh. If they time the bridge before the final ascent, it’s game on. Vamos USA!velodromevirtuoso118-09-2026
- - Del Toro winning while Yates policed moves was classic UAE chess. Without that structure at Worlds, can McNulty read the chaos as a sole leader? He’s earned the shot, but the race will be messy.cadencekingm18-09-2026
- - Question: why does the climb being6 km matter so much? Is it more about punch vs pure climbers? Trying to understand why McNulty suits this course over, say, Remco.jeremya18-09-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “favourite” tag. Montréal one-day is not Worlds with national teams and weird alliances. Evenepoel and Pidcock will race totally different next time. Cautious optimism, not hype.sprocketspiny18-09-2026
- - Huge ride from McNulty. Third on the Worlds circuit against that field is no fluke. If Simmons and Jorgenson mark the early fireworks, Brandon can launch on Camillien-Houde last lap. USA actually looks stacked for once.julien18-09-2026
- - Vamos Remco! If Benoot paces and Nys nails the finale, esto va a ser fuego. Belgique super fuerte hoy.patriciaw17-09-2026
- - Can someone explain how team leadership works if both Evenepoel and Van Aert want the rainbow? Does the DS decide on the road, or do they have a pre-agreed plan A/B? I’m a bit confused by “two leaders” in a one-day race.julien17-09-2026
- - Not sure I buy the jet lag angle as an “advantage.” Six hours is still rough, and Montréal earlier this year showed he wasn’t flawless on that climb. Also, calling him the “out and out favourite” ignores Pog and MvdP form, no?davidm17-09-2026
- - Great read. The Camillien-Houde profile screams Amstel/Brabantse Pijl, and Remco’s punch has clearly leveled up sinceIf Belgium sets a hard tempo with Benoot and Segaert, this could be a repeat of Wollongong tactics.robert6517-09-2026
- - Vamos Remco! Terzo tempo al Tour, adesso Giro per la rosa, por favor. Red Bull kit on the Stelvio would look fuego.jennifer1917-09-2026
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