"It feels a little weird, but also cool, because it's the first time I've been on a road bike since Paris. I like being back in a racing environment," Lachlan Morton (EF Education-Easy Post) told Cycling News while waiting for the start of the Classica Haen on Monday, nearly seven months after finishing the 18-day Alto Tour de France.

It was also Morton's first road race in Haen since the Route d'Occitanie last June, but he had not been away from off-road cycling competition since then. While other pros rested over the winter, Morton took part in two grueling MTB events in South Africa: the Absa Cape Epic and the Munga. Then on Sunday, he took part in another MTB race in Spain.

Morton's participation in his first professional Stellato race in Spain was a last-minute call-up. So I drove all the way from Girona and am racing today."

It is no exaggeration to say that Classica Haen is a voyage of darkness. Participating in an event like Haen's, "I'm just excited to be here and use whatever I have. I want to see how far I can go."

Before the race began, he admitted that he had no reference point for what his form was like. He said, "I finished fourth in the MTB race on Sunday, but it's hard to translate that to the road race. I didn't do any intervals or anything, I just rode the same way I always do."

Morton has alternated between tarmac and off-road racing for years, but it seemed almost inevitable to ask him about the ongoing heated debate on social media and elsewhere about whether gravel and stellato segments are road race worthy.11]

However, Morton initially said that he felt he was "not qualified to give an opinion because I don't do much road racing."

He also said that he was "not a good enough rider for the road.

On a personal level, with that proviso firmly attached, he added: "I don't know. It makes the race more interesting," he added. But he also recognized that his perspective came from a place that did not necessarily match the perspective held by the broader road peloton.

As he put it, "That doesn't mean that we do it week after week, or that we build up to one goal for a year and then get punked."

"So I think events like today [at Krashka Haen] are exciting. But if you put [gravel] in an event that traditionally isn't, I can see why some people would have a problem with that."

He added, "I usually watch those big events on TV, so I enjoy watching them. But I understand that it can be a nightmare race."

As for the 2022 program, Morton said he would continue with an unusual mix of MTB and road racing. For example, "Next weekend there is an FKT event in Menorca, where we will do a lap around the plateau on mountain bikes.

"Then I'll be in a road race at the Coppi e Bartali and the Tour of the Alps. And mix in the Lifetime Series in the US.

During the season, Morton seems to be taking a broader view of events rather than having a specific goal. In his words, "Basically, I don't stick to one goal. In general, the better I ride, the more I enjoy the race."

In addition, Morton has been a member of the CRASSICA team for the past two years.

In Classica Haen, Morton abandoned late in the race.

"It was a very tough race. He hasn't been focused on road racing for months and was a little short at the end," sport director Juanma Galate told Cycling News.

"It was much better than I expected.

"The bike felt pretty weird for the first few hours, but I got used to it. Needless to say it was a tough race, but a very cool one.

"I was actually very happy with it and look forward to getting back on the road bike and doing some more races.