Dane Secures First World Tour Win in Over a Year with Stage Two Victory

Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time Tour de France champion, claimed his first World Tour win in over a year as he edged out Giulio Ciccone to take stage two of the Vuelta a Espana. The 157km flat stage from Alba culminated with a 10km climb, where Vingegaard and Ciccone engaged in a late sprint for the line, with the Dane emerging victorious.

Vingegaard’s win marked a significant milestone for the Visma–Lease a Bike rider, who had not secured a top-tier win since stage 11 of last year’s Tour de France. The cool and rainy conditions of the stage seemed to suit Vingegaard, who rode aggressively and took advantage of the opportunity to take the lead. “You’re not going to let a stage win pass so when I saw the opportunity, of course I’ll take it,” Vingegaard said in a post-race interview.

Vingegaard’s victory also saw him claim the red jersey from overnight leader Jasper Philipsen, who struggled in the finale. Philipsen, who had taken the lead after the previous day’s stage, was unable to maintain his advantage on the challenging climb. “I went down pretty hard on the roundabout near the bottom of the last ascent, but it seems like I didn’t hurt myself too bad,” Vingegaard said, referring to a nasty fall he took earlier in the stage.

Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who followed Felix Gall’s attack as the misty summit finish approached, was also caught by Vingegaard and Ciccone in the final 100m. Pidcock, however, was pleased with his performance, saying “I’ve got to be happy with how I rode. I think I always need a few days to get into a race. We committed, I didn’t have the legs, but we’ll try again another time.”

The Vuelta a Espana continues on Monday with a grinding all-day ascent on a short but winding 138.5km run to Ceres in the midst of the Graian Alps. The stage is expected to be a challenging one, with Vingegaard and Ciccone set to face off again in a bid for the overall lead. The climb will be a test of the riders’ endurance and climbing abilities, and could see some of the top contenders drop out of contention.

The Vuelta a Espana is a three-week Grand Tour that takes place in Spain and Portugal, and is considered one of the most prestigious cycling events in the world. The race features some of the most challenging terrain and weather conditions, and is known for its unpredictable and dramatic finishes.