Why an emotional Kwiatkowski dedicated his victory on Spanish Gravel to his family and 'outstanding' INEOS

Kwiatkowski has already won major races, such as the Amstel Gold Race (twice), Strade Bianche (twice), E3 Harelbeke, and Milan-Sanremo. He even wore the rainbow jersey for a year. The 34-year-old rider is one of the better one-day racers of recent years. Yet winning the relatively small Clásica Jaén meant a lot to him.

"This victory means a lot to me. Last year, I had a back injury and could not race for a long time. It was a long process to get back. That is why I started the season early in Australia. My form was good but lacked the last few percent to win. I have trained well in Mallorca over the past few weeks. But the most important thing is that my family always supports me. I know how much they sacrifice for me, so it means a lot that I won today," he said in the flash interview.

Nevertheless, it was a bold attack by the INEOS rider. He took off more than sixty kilometers before the finish. "You always have to believe it's possible," says Kwiatkowski. "The pace was already incredibly high from the second gravel sector. I hadn't expected that certainly not so early in the race. An elite group formed, and we (INEOS Grenadiers, ed.) were among them. Everyone rode excellently, and we knew we could perform well."

In the end, Kwiatkowski joined an attack by McNulty, and the rest is history. "I am proud of how we rode today. I would like to dedicate this victory to my family. The past few months have been tough, so this is for them!" concluded the 34-year-old rider.