Ethan Vernon glory as Kaden Groves struggles in “strange sprint” on Volta a Catalunya stage 2

British success continued at the Volta a Catalunya as Ethan Vernon powered to victory on stage 2, making it back-to-back wins for the UK after Ethan Hayter’s triumph on the opening day.

“It wasn’t an easy day,” Vernon said after crossing the line first. “Lidl-Trek and some other teams were riding hard up the climbs. I suffered a bit there, but I was able to come back, thanks to my teammate Itamar Einhorn. He got me back in good shape. Nick Schultz, Corbin Strong and George Bennett were fantastic in the last kilometres.”

The tight finish was made even more intense by a strong tailwind, which turned the final sprint into a high-speed affair. “We had the momentum with two kilometres to go. We had a full train and set it up perfectly. At the end it was very chaotic. I think we were going at eighty kilometres per hour at the end. With the tailwind it went very fast, but that suits me,” Vernon added.

While Vernon and his teammates executed a near-flawless finish, Kaden Groves found himself on the wrong side of the sprint. Still recovering from the weekend’s grueling Milano-Sanremo, the Australian admitted he struggled to get his timing right.

“We came a bit too early, I think,” Groves told Eurosport. “The high speed in particular allowed the guys to come from the back. I had a pretty good day, but I went too early and then my legs filled up.”

Reflecting on the final, he added: “It was a strange sprint. Normally you can start your sprint a bit earlier here, because the finish line comes quickly. But yes, it is what it is. I have a bit of mixed feelings about today.”