A again wheel puncture at precisely the improper second within the Clásica Jaén left main favorite Wout Van Aert stranded and – after preventing his misfortune tooth and nail – lastly defeated in Spain’s high off-road occasion on Monday.
With round 53 kilometres to go at first of one of many 4 gravel sectors, the Visma-Lease A Bike chief discovered himself standing on the facet of the highway, frantically altering tyres with teammate Per Strand Hagenes at a degree the place group automobiles have been nonetheless a long way behind.
With practically a minute misplaced, Van Aert then made a herculean all-out effort to regain contact with the primary peloton, which nonetheless contained teammates Sepp Kuss and Jan Tratnik.
However at a degree when the race was coming into its important last part, and the bunch was already racing flat out to chase down a harmful breakaway, the trouble proved an excessive amount of, and Van Aert accomplished the arduous, rainsoaked course because the final of the 45 finishers, 6:36 down on winner Oier Lakzano (Movistar).
“The race was opening up simply because it all occurred,” Van Aert informed a small group of reporters, together with Cyclingnews, on the end line in Úbeda whereas behind him, his teammate Tratnik walked onto the winner’s podium to have a good time his third place.
“I may have waited to alter my bike slightly than change tyres, however that was my determination,” he stated. “I attempted to get again on the climb, however I noticed I couldn’t bridge throughout, and with Sepp as co-leader and within the entrance group, I made a decision to cease.”
The flat tyre was of a kind, Van Aert stated, that made getting a alternative after which making an attempt to resolve the state of affairs as rapidly as potential the one possibility on the desk.
“There was a big nail in my tyre,” he stated, “that’s the form of puncture you may’t do a lot about.”
Van Aert stated that he did his utmost to regain contact, and such was his effort the hole was squeezed to lower than 30 seconds at one level. Though a lot of the race was technical and twisting, on one temporary stretch of straight freeway Van Aert’s group may see the primary bunch dangling tantalizingly shut forward. However the distance proved unattainable to bridge.
“There wasn’t a lot level in retaining Sepp and Jan ready. I attempted once more, but it surely did not work,” Van Aert stated. “I had Tim (van Dijke) with me for some time, and on that climb, I attempted to recover from. However when that did not work, I knew it was over.”
Though Van Aert’s debut within the Clasica Jaén didn’t go in any respect to plan, and a victory in a Spanish race nonetheless stays lacking from his bulging palmares because of this, the Belgian stated he did get pleasure from himself on the gravel roads of japanese Andalucia.
“It’s very like Strade Bianche,” he stated with a smile earlier than heading off to the group bus, a welcome bathe and a protracted switch to Portugal and the Volta ao Algarve race, which begins on Wednesday. “It is a good race. I’d like to come back again right here sooner or later and see what I can do subsequent time.”
