“I didn’t really understand what the others were doing" - Max Poole critical of fellow chasers after narrowly misses out on Vuelta success for second day running

After a 3rd placed finish on stage 11 at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL's Max Poole came even closer on stage 12 finishing 2nd. A first Grand Tour stage win still eludes the young Brit though.

“I’m disappointed, but we tried again today," Poole reflected in his post-stage interview after a thrilling finale saw the Brit catching lone leader Pablo Castrillo like a shark smelling blood, but ultimately just ran out of road before the finish line as the young Spaniard held on for the biggest victory of his career to date.

“So soon after the stage you’re always disappointed when you haven’t won. Maybe when the emotions have subsided a bit I can be satisfied with this result," Poole continues with resounding disappointment. "I’ve come so close for two days now,” he sighs.

After Castrillo had attacked, there was a notable lack of cohesion in the chase, something that left Poole incredibly frustrated. “INEOS Grenadiers had two men left, so it is logical that everyone looks to them to close the gap. Actually I thought it was their responsibility. Although it was slow to get going," he explains. “I didn’t really understand what the others were doing. Schmid had of course been ahead, so I could understand that. What the other two were doing, I had no idea."

"In the end I was riding flat out to the finish line. I don’t think I should have attacked earlier," concludes Poole's assessment of the stage. "There was no point in attacking earlier in my opinion.”