Vingegaard Takes Vuelta Lead With Long-awaited Win

2 weeks ago

Jonas Vingegaard celebrates aft beating Giulio Ciccone to triumph shape 2 of nan 2025 Vuelta a Espana

Ben Collins

BBC Sport journalist

Jonas Vingegaard claimed his first World Tour triumph successful much than a twelvemonth arsenic he edged retired Giulio Ciccone to return shape 2 of nan Vuelta a Espana.

The two-time Tour de France champion had not secured a top-tier triumph since shape 11 of past year's Tour.

But connected a cool, rainy 10km climb to nan finish, nan Visma–Lease a Bike rider hit Italian climber Ciccone successful a precocious sprint for nan statement successful Limone, Italy.

That besides saw title favourite Vingegaard declare nan reddish jersey from overnight leader Jasper Philipsen, pinch nan Belgian sprinter having struggled successful nan finale.

Britain's Tom Pidcock followed Felix Gall's onslaught arsenic nan misty acme decorativeness approached, but Ciccone and Vingegaard swept past them wrong nan last 100m, pinch nan Dane winning by a instrumentality rim arsenic they lunged for nan line.

Sunday's shape was nan 2nd of 4 starting successful Italy earlier nan Vuelta heads into Spain and though it is early for Vingegaard to spell into nan lead, he said: "You're not going to fto a shape triumph walk truthful erstwhile I saw nan opportunity, of people I'll return it.

"It's been a while since my past triumph truthful I'm ace happy pinch really I felt, really nan squad did, and besides to person nan reddish jersey."

Vingegaard added: "I went connected [Ciccone's] instrumentality and, to beryllium honest, earlier nan [final] area I didn't deliberation that it would beryllium imaginable to walk him, but from nan area connected it was longer to nan decorativeness than I thought truthful past I could walk him."

A 157km level shape from Alba culminated pinch a climb of almost 10km pinch an mean gradient of much than 5%.

Rain fell connected a cool time of 20C, and Pidcock and Vingegaard were among a group of riders that slipped to nan tarmac connected a roundabout adjacent nan bottommost of that past ascent.

"I went down beautiful hard, but it seems for illustration I didn't wounded myself excessively bad," said Vingegaard.

"I person a spot of bruising, but I deliberation because it was truthful slippery I was sliding more, truthful I didn't get immoderate bad roadworthy rash aliases anything."

Pidcock added: "I've sewage beryllium happy pinch really I rode. I deliberation I ever request a fewer days to get into a race. We committed, I didn't person nan legs, but we'll effort again different time."

On Monday nan riders are group for a grinding all-day ascent connected a short but winding 138.5km tally to Ceres successful nan midst of nan Graian Alps.