Pogacar changes his plans but not his attitude: he destroys the Clásica de Jaén with an attack on the 'sterrato' with 50 kilometers to go

Instead of the Arabian desert, the sea of ​​olive trees between Úbeza and Baeza.

The winter sun in Spain is the differentiating element chosen by

, who always prefers the cold, in search of reconquering the Tour de France, the only possible goal for whom he has already won two but also lost the last one.

A Monday in February flying over a rise and fall of cobbled tracks with the aroma of oil.

A show.

An exhibition to begin with, because he not only won: he attacked with almost 50 kilometers to go and no one saw him anymore until the finish line of the Jaén Paraíso Interior Classic.

And that he had to change bikes due to a puncture.

Tadej and his mentor

chose the sterrato paths of Jaén as a competitive starting point for 2023. And the Slovenian is not one to beat around the bush, his fang is always sharp.

In its second edition, the Clásica calls for focus due to its peculiarity.

Unique landscapes, 170 kilometers dotted with stretches of roads in the style of the Strade Bianche.

The next station for the leader of the UAE Emirates will also be in Andalusia, the Ruta del Sol from Wednesday.

"Will you return to Spain?", they asked him at the signature control in Úbeda.

"I would like to," replied the Slovenian with a half smile, aware that it will not be easy.

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Tadej Pogacar: "I learned a lot from my mistakes on the Tour"

• Writing: LUCAS SÁEZ-BRAVO Madrid

Tadej Pogacar: "I learned a lot from my mistakes on the Tour"

The novelty is that for the first time in four years, Pogacar changes his roadmap and avoids the UAE Tour at the start of the year.

It is not trivial, since it is the race of the sponsor who pays him, of which he has greatly reinforced his team so as not to succumb again this year with the Jumbo-Visma with the arrival of

.

His winter hasn't been the same either.

He disconnected with his partner,

, also a cyclist , on vacation in Colombia.

And he still hasn't done the usual concentration at height.

Still, it's still just as powerful.

At least that's how it seemed in Jaén, where he gave away watts during an hour and a half show.

A quality test.

Tadej unchained, in February.

"We had studied it. It was a perfect plan," he admitted.

Everything broke with 44 kilometers to go, in sector 4, a 3.5-kilometre dirt track, baptized by popular vote as Antonio Machado.

In the first rush, Pogacar left the group shivering.

In the second, shortly after, no one resisted anymore.

He caught

in the blink of an eye , who had been in front since the initial break.

The Aragonese from Movistar endured the wheel of the cyclone just four kilometers, an agony.

The chasing group, led by two Ineos (

), also had two crouching teammates from Pogacar,

.

But the difference did not decrease.

On the contrary, it exceeded two minutes.

With eight kilometers to go, a puncture added some excitement.

Pogacar changed his bike and continued his brutal march.

At Baeza's goal, smiling, he led Turner and his teammate Wellens by 58 seconds, second and third.

Pogacar's first step in 2023 is joy in Spain, which he will try to extend in the Tour of Andalusia.

Later, yes, in principle it will trace the path to the Tour.

In a few weeks, the Strade Bianche and the Tirreno Adriatico, both conquests for 2022. Shortly after, San Remo.

Later, the Belgian classics that marked him so much a year ago, Through Flanders and, above all, the Tour of Flanders.

Flecha Wallona and Liega, a two-month break, the Tour de Eslovenia Patrio, other weeks of tuning up, and at the start of the Grande Boucle in the Basque Country.

A plan, as always, more ambitious than that of his great rival.

hardly lavishes himself before the Tour.

Of course, he will also debut in Spain, in Galicia, O Gran Camiño from the 23rd. Later, a little more: Paris-Nice, Itzulia and Dauphiné.

Different ways to go to the great battle.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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