Tratnik and Kuss show themselves with third and sixth places in Clásica Jaén
Jan Tratnik has secured a podium finish in his second race of the season. After finishing second in the Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia, the rider from Visma | Lease a Bike took third in the Clásica Jaén. Oier Lazkano won the race.
For the third day in a row, a one-day race was held in southern Spain. The rain had forced the organisers to shorten the route by 40 kilometres and remove eight of the twelve gravel sections.
The changes did not prevent Tratnik and Per Strand Hagenes from embarking on an early adventure. The two riders from Visma | Lease a Bike were part of an early breakaway, but the teamwork was not optimal.
Five riders, including Lazkano, broke away from the lead group. Tratnik, Hagenes and the rest were caught by the peloton, with Team Visma | Lease a Bike leading the chase from then on.
On the first gravel section, Wout van Aert suffered a puncture. The Belgian went over a large bolt and had to swap his wheel with Hagenes.
"Today, we didn't quite make it, but Sepp and I were there"
Van Aert would not return to the front. The rest of the peloton, including Tratnik and Kuss, chased Lazkano. The Slovenian and the American made a strong impression, but Lazkano eventually stayed in front of the chasers. Tratnik sprinted to third.
"Sepp and I were at the front when Wout got a puncture. We hoped he would come back, but when he didn't, we were told to take our chances. Today, we didn't quite make it, but Sepp and I were there. We can be happy with that."
Kuss was also pleased with the result. "I did everything I could to help Jan get the best possible result. Oier was super strong and deserved to win. I liked riding a gravel race like this. I often ride my gravel bike at home, but this is different."