Intense rain in the Jaén region, in Spain, forced the organizers of the Clássica Jaén, which will be held this Monday, to significantly redesign the route. Almost 40 kilometers of sections on gravel roads had to be eliminated, as many of these areas have large mud puddles that could compromise cyclists’ safety.
Last minute: Test is reduced
The original Clásica Jaén route was 180 kilometers long, of which 55 kilometers would be on gravel roads, divided into twelve sections. However, after two days of intense rain, parts of the route were flooded and the forecast for the Jaén region on Monday is for more rain.
As a result, the route was significantly shortened, with only 158 kilometers remaining for cyclists to cover, with around 2,100 meters of climbing and just four gravel sections, totaling 17.8 kilometers. These sections are all located in the last 60 kilometers of the race.
Check out the new race route
Participation by Wout van Aert and Juan Ayuso
The Clásica Jaén, which last year’s winner was Tadej Pogačar, will this year feature the participation of Wout van Aert. “It’s a race with gravel sections and so I’m quite excited. I want to be up to the task in Jaén, especially in the final stretch”, commented Van Aert.
In addition to him, other athletes such as Sepp Kuss, Juan Ayuso, Carlos Rodriguez, Ben O’Connor (winner of last Saturday’s Vuelta a Murcia), Tim Wellens and Michal Kwiatkowski also confirmed their participation in the competition.
