Van Aert makes his debut in the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior: how to watch live

On February 17th, as usual, on an atypical day of the week for a cycling race like Monday and serving as the culmination of the Spanish classics trilogy at the beginning of the season, the 4th edition of the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior will take place with new doses of its spectacular dirt roads and a participation of true luxury highlighted by the presence of Wout van Aert.

Van Aert seeks to start the season on the right foot in the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior

A new edition, the 4th for a young race that has made a name for itself in what may be one of the most interesting weeks of cycling at the beginning of the season in Spanish territory. The Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior will be held on Monday, February 17th as the closing event of the particular Spanish opening weekend, preceded by the Clásica de Almería the day before and the Vuelta a Murcia on Saturday.

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Furthermore, it is strategically located before the start of the Vuelta a Andalucía which begins on the 19th, making it very attractive for teams logistically, as they can face these races in southern Spain with minimal travel.

Favorites to win the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior 2025

Although the complete line-ups of the teams participating in this 2025 edition of the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior are not yet known, one name shines brightly as a candidate to succeed Oier Lazcano, who offered a true exhibition last year but will not be able to defend his victory this year as the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team will not be present.

We are talking, of course, about Wout van Aert, who will try to start this year with better sensations than last year and turn the tables on the 2024 classification in this race. Quite literally, as last season, also on his first day of competition, the Belgian finished in 43rd place, over 6 minutes behind Lazkano, the last of the cyclists to enter the classification.

Van Aert will have the support in this Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior of what must also be one of his lieutenants when the cobblestone classics arrive, Tiesj Benoot.

As expected, the main rivals that Wout van Aert will face are the men of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG, which brings a strong squad including a cyclist like Tim Wellens, 4th last year and second after Tadej Pogacar in 2023, who will finally seek to crown himself in this race that perfectly suits his characteristics.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG will not be the only card to play, as they have also included names like Isaac del Toro, Brandon McNulty, and the always combative Marc Soler in their lineup.

Route of the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior 2025

Once again, the beautiful city of Úbeda and the sea of olive trees that surround it will be the setting for the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior, a race marked by the dirt roads that add spice to a 169-kilometer route with 2,600 meters of elevation gain.

A route with two well-defined halves: a first part purely on the road and fairly comfortable terrain that usually allows modest teams to shine and seek the breakaway of the day.

The dirt sections begin at kilometer 79 with the first of the ten sectors on this surface that cyclists will have to overcome, with a format that establishes a final circuit around Úbeda that they will have to complete two laps of, facing 4 dirt sections. Undoubtedly, a perfect design for the audience present to enjoy the race to the fullest.

How to watch the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior 2025

Extensive television coverage for the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior 2025, which will not only be broadcast by Eurosport and the Max platform but also by RTVE, which will air the event on its Teledeporte channel and RTVE Play platform. In addition, the Andalusian regional channel Canal Sur will also provide coverage.

In all cases, the scheduled broadcast time will be between 15:15 and 17:30, so, as in previous years, we will be able to see practically all the dirt sections where the race will be decided.