“A shame I wasn't able to win” – Ciccone reacts to narrow Vuelta defeat to Jonas Vingegaard on stage 2

Stage 2 of the 2025 Vuelta a España delivered drama all the way to the line, with Giulio Ciccone nearly pulling off a stunning victory. The Italian looked to have timed his sprint perfectly, but in the final meters Jonas Vingegaard surged past to snatch both the stage and the red jersey. For Ciccone, it was a bitter near miss after committing everything to the effort. For Vingegaard, it was a statement of intent in his first victory of the race, and he has reaffirmed his status as the overwhelming favourite.

Ciccone admitted afterwards that positioning played a crucial role in how the finale unfolded. "I was a bit closed off in the last 500 meters, when I found myself in front of Ayuso," he told Cycling Pro Net. "At that point, I had to go by feeling and launched the sprint, but perhaps I started too early. In the end, it proved difficult to maintain that effort until the finish." The Lidl-Trek rider had targeted the stage as a key objective, but execution left him just short of the win.

Still, Ciccone’s form is clearly where he wants it to be. "My legs are feeling great, and it's a shame I wasn't able to win," he said as the disappointment set in. "This stage was a really big goal, and I really wanted to take the Maglia Roja. But we'll keep trying in the coming days." His comments made clear that he is focusing on stage wins rather than the general classification this year, a tactical choice that gives him more freedom to chase opportunities.

The stage was not without danger, as a crash involving several riders, including eventual winner Vingegaard and Britain’s Tom Pidcock, added an unexpected twist. Ciccone explained how the peloton reacted in that moment. “It was a rather dangerous moment in the race,” he said. “We slowed the pace at the head of the group because you can’t gain an advantage when a great champion has just fallen.” That decision reflected the unwritten rules of the peloton, where respect for rivals often tempers the raw competitiveness of the racing.

Vingegaard himself was satisfied with how the day turned out, both personally and for the team. "It's better not to waste the chance to win a stage," the Dane said. "When I saw there was an opportunity to do so, I decided to go for it. I'm happy, especially because it's been a while since my last victory. I'm happy with how I felt and with how the team worked. And I'm also happy, of course, to have taken the Maglia Roja."