"It's comparable to Strade Bianche," Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) said of Spain's new gravel race, Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior, where he finished second behind Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Kazakstan)." It's a really great course."

There was no doubt that the Clasica Jaen, consisting of 40 km of gravel roads and over 3,000 meters of climbing, was a brutally tough challenge, especially early in the season. The heavy rain that had been predicted fell on Monday morning, but stopped before the race began.

Of the 117 starters, only 44 finished the race. Even in Astana Kazakstan, five of the seven runners abandoned. Not a single athlete finished in front of Ubeda's Renaissance-era town hall, like Doron Hopper Androni and Sport Vlaanderen.

"It's comparable to Strade Bianche," Wellens said, "but the advantage of Strade Bianche is that it also has a gravelly downhill section. But the advantage of Strade Bianche is that it has gravelly downhill sections.

He added, "On gravel downhills, positioning is everything.

Aside from Wellens being one of the strongest riders in the finale, Lotto Soudal created many early breakaways, and Wellens said the group preparation on the bike went very well.

"We tested the materials well before the race and had a clear idea of tire pressures and widths. We used 4.3 bar 28s, which are much softer than usual, and today they were perfect. The uphill was pretty steep and I needed a little bit of grip," he explained.

Wellens said the race was a morale booster for the higher profile off-road event, Strade Bianche, but had to realize that comparisons are only valid up to a certain point.

"Sure, there's a little bit of compatibility. But let's be honest, it's a world tour, so Strade's level is probably higher. Nevertheless, I am happy to have finished second here."

It was no surprise at all to see former Toro Bro Leon winner Conor Swift (Alcare Samsic) of Great Britain, who finished in the top 30 in Paris-Roubaix last fall, join the mix. Swift, who was part of a group of five who tried to chase Lutsenko, eventually finished fifth, but was happy with his day.

Swift and his team previewed several sections and, as he told Cycling News before the start, "It's not like Toro Bro Leon. Paris-Roubaix is a really different kind of race."

"The gravel sections are all uphill, which you don't normally see."

"It's a very different kind of race.

According to Swift, the overnight rainfall was not a bad thing. 'I don't think it's slippery, I don't think it's dusty, I think it's just a little bit of rain.' [It rained a little bit this morning, so the corners won't be as loose.

Arkea Samsic aimed to put Warren Barguil, Swift, and Mathis Rubel in front, and it actually worked out better than expected for the French Pro Conti team.

"There were a lot of moves and we just had to follow them and make sure we were represented. Eventually the group split and me and Mathis went to the front. Obviously Warren wanted to stay with us, so we tried to slow the tempo down. But on the gravel section Lutsenko attacked.

"We got to the top of the climb and I was with four or five guys and Lutsenko was in front. "

It looked as if Lutsenko might be in trouble when he briefly regrouped with about 25 km to go. But as Swift said, "He was on another level. It was clear that he [Lutsenko] was the strongest, but the strongest doesn't always win the race," Werens admitted.

"I was hoping that he would solo me and I could catch him from behind, but he was strong enough to stay in front. When I realized he wasn't coming back, I started looking at second place."

Lutsenko herself rode much like she did last fall at the Serenissima Gravel (UCI Non-Championships), her only win in gravel. This time, the Kazakhstan all-rounder broke away more than 80km from the finish and held off Riccardo Minari and Nathan Haas for the solo win.

This time, Lutsenko attacked "only" with 45km to go, and when the half-dozen riders regrouped, there was a brief moment of doubt that Lutsenko might get away. But as Wellens and Swift said, it was already clear that Lutsenko was on another level, and he soon left. From then on, apart from a couple of small wobbles and a suspicious, spasm-like movement at the top of the final climb (he was crossing the road), Astana Kazakstan's first win of 2022 was almost assured.

"It wasn't my first experience with gravel. Lotto kept working hard throughout the race. It was tough because everyone was fresh. But I found my pace and was able to get away," Lutsenko said after the race.

Lutsenko has competed in Strade Bianche five times, with his best finish being seventh in 2019, but with Pairs Nice on the program, the Kazakh's gravel road appearance this year will likely be the Haen Classic.

Asked if Strade Bianche would be more difficult, the Kazakh replied with a grin, "That depends on my form."

"Obviously the level is higher, and there are players like Van Art (Jumbo Visma) and Van Der Pol (Alpecin Phoenix). But it's very important to start the season with a win and it's good for everyone's morale."

As for Classica Jaen itself, it remains to be seen whether the race will remain on the Spanish one-day calendar temporarily, or whether it will gain I.HC or higher status in the future. But as Spanish Cycling Federation president José Luis López Cerón told reporters at the finish line, organizers hope to see such a race in the future. Classica Jaen certainly got off to an impressive start, and in the process offered local fans a very different kind of racing than what is normally mainstream in Spain.