“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
Cycling
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.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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When you empty the tank in the sprint to the line ⛽️🥵 #KeepChallenging #LaVuelta24
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