Stage 2 of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana produced fireworks in
the closing meters, with Jonas Vingegaard powering past Giulio Ciccone to take
the victory and the red jersey. Behind them, David Gaudu secured third place,
while Egan Bernal rode strongly to finish just outside the podium in fourth.
For the Colombian, who continues his long road back toward the level he showed
before his career-threatening crash in 2022, the performance was an encouraging
sign of progress.
Bernal admitted afterwards that he hadn’t lined up with
ambitions of winning. “I actually didn’t think of fighting for the win. I
started the stage with a different mindset," he told Colombian TV
reporters. "Yet I found myself at the front, and decided to try my
luck." That decision almost paid off, as he clung to the wheel of the
leaders in the furious uphill finale, only surrendering the podium spot to
Gaudu in the final push.
What mattered most, however, was the sense that Bernal is
once again competing alongside the best in the world. "It’s good for my
morale to be up there," he said. "There was quite a bit of stress in
the bunch, as is usual in the first week of a Grand Tour." The chaos was
amplified by a mid-stage crash that brought down several riders, including
eventual stage winner Vingegaard, though Bernal managed to stay clear and
maintain his rhythm.
Support from his Ineos Grenadiers teammates proved
invaluable during a tense day of racing. "Luckily, I felt very protected
all day long thanks to teammates like Ben [Turner], Pippo [Filippo Ganna],
Kwiato' [Michał Kwiatkowski]… I came out alright from the stage thanks to
them.” With the team riding cohesively around him, Bernal was able to save
energy for the finale and position himself with the leaders when it mattered
most.
The outcome of the stage highlighted both the strength of
Vingegaard, who wasted no chance to strike early in the race, and the form of
riders like Ciccone and Gaudu, who pushed him to the limit. For Bernal, being
part of that select group underlined his steady return to form.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
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