The 2026 season officially got underway in Spain, where Lucky Sport Cycling Team lined up for the stage race Vuelta a Murcia followed by the one day gravel classic Clásica Jaén, often referred to as the Spanish Strade Bianche.

Vuelta a Murcia – A Frustrating Start

The team had prepared thoroughly for the opening block, but Vuelta a Murcia did not unfold as planned.

Stage 1 was shortened to 83.5 km due to strong winds and turned into proper echelon racing from start to finish. Joel Mellby positioned himself perfectly and made it into the first peloton together with several of the race favorites, including Tom Pidcock. With 15 km to go, just as the decisive phase was about to unfold, Joel punctured. The timing could not have been worse and it took away what looked like a realistic shot at a top 20, possibly even more.

Stage 2 was neutralised after 20 km due to extreme conditions, effectively ending the race. A disappointing way to start the season, but there was little time to dwell on it.

Clásica Jaén – Spanish Gravel Battle

The team packed the cars and drove to Úbeda for Clásica Jaén. After checking in at the hotel in the city center, the riders went out for a reconnaissance ride, inspecting the gravel sectors that had been heavily affected by recent rainfall. The feeling inside the group was clear. This could be a race that suited us.

The plan was ambitious. From kilometer 0 we wanted to be fully committed to the breakaway. Ideally, we aimed to have two riders up the road, forcing other teams to chase and giving Joel the opportunity to stay protected and surf the decisive moves later in the race.

However, it quickly became clear that many teams shared the same strategy. During the first 80 km, at least one Lucky rider was represented in every serious move, but every time a break looked promising, another wave of riders tried to bridge across. The race never truly settled.

We had to rethink. Positioning became everything.

As the race entered the decisive terrain, the pace increased sharply on the longer climbs. Several riders were dropped, including Peder Dahl Strand who had spent significant energy in earlier breakaway attempts. The rest of the squad remained well positioned.

On a long climb before the first gravel sector, the peloton split. Joel was on the right side of the split. Immediately after the climb came the first gravel section followed by a fast downhill. Around 25 riders formed the front group.

The race then hit the first major gravel sector, 7.2 km long and highly technical. With 57 km to go, Tim Wellens and Quinten Hermans attacked. Joel found his rhythm and stayed with the front group, riding controlled and mature.

He remained in contention until sector 4, another decisive gravel stretch featuring a brutal concrete wall in the middle. The group split again and Joel unfortunately found himself on the wrong side of the gap. Together with two others, he worked hard to bridge across to a group containing half of the main favorites, while the other half hovered just behind.

In a display of both strength and inexperience, Joel took on too much responsibility in the chase, helping riders from Kern Pharma and Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe close the gap. The effort cost him and he drifted back.

With 20 km to go, sensing that the second group was not riding aggressively enough, Joel attacked. He was joined by Quinten Hermans, who had also been dropped. The two riders quickly distanced the group behind and began working towards the leaders on the final gravel sector.

With 3 km to go, they caught Marc Soler. Joel and Hermans immediately dropped him and rode into the finish with pride.

Joel crossed the line in 15th place against some of the strongest riders in the world and as the first U23 rider of the race. A statement performance and clear proof of the work done during the winter.

Team Results – Clásica Jaén

15 – Joel Mellby
35 – Carl Kagevi
45 – Hugo Lennartsson
66 – Hjalmar Klyver
67 – Axel Källberg
71 – Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg
DNF – Peder Dahl Strand

With six riders finishing one of the hardest early season classics, the team delivered a strong collective effort.

The season has officially started. And if Clásica Jaén is any indication, there is much more to come.