"It's not the Angliru, but it's a good test" - Bruyneel and Martin on La Vuelta stage 2 and warning to Jonas Vingegaard
Cycling
Jasper Philipsen took the first victory of this year's Vuelta a Espana with a comfortable sprint triumph in Novara. On stage 2 the peloton heads to the Italian Alps for a first summit finish, one of many in this race and the first test for the overall contenders.
On The Move podcast, Johan Bruyneel and Spencer Martin commented on what happened on the first day and talked about what can happen on the second day of racing, this Sunday's in which Jonas Vingegaard will be amongst the contenders.
Johan Bruyneel: It was more or less what we expected. A completely flat stage, a breakaway of five or six riders who were caught, and a mass sprint. I think it was very evident that Philipsen's train was way ahead of the rest. They made a perfect launch and he finished it off with quite a bit of authority.
Vuelta a España 2025 stage 2 profile
Spencer: Yes, you could tell he was in the mood after his crash at the Tour. It was impressive. But I also think the most interesting thing is how the atmosphere changes from the Tour.
Johan: Absolutely. I say it every year: the Vuelta is much less stressful than the Tour. In the Tour everyone is nervous, everyone wants to be in front, there are crashes, tension. Not here. The riders are more relaxed, there's less media pressure, less public on the road, and you feel that in the peloton.
Spencer: Let's talk about Philipsen. With this victory you already have 14 grand tour victories, right?
Johan: That's right, 14. He's the third active, only behind Roglic and Pogacar. And he also achieved something special: this year he won the first stage of the Tour and the first stage of the Vuelta. The last to do so was Cancellara in 2009.
Spencer: Unbelievable. And on the other hand, good result for Orluis Aular, third, proving that what he did in the Giro was not by chance.
Johan: Yes, without a doubt. And let's not forget that Cofidis, with Coquard seventh, takes very important points for the WorldTour classification. That battle is very tight between Cofidis and Uno-X, and every point counts.
Spencer: Hugo de la Calle, the Spanish U-23 champion, was also in the breakaway. In the end he was the last to be caught.
Johan: That's what the guest teams usually do, isn't it? Burgos-BH, Caja Rural... they have to look for prominence from the start. And well, it always gives a good image.
Spencer: Let's talk about what's coming up. In the second stage we have a high finish, 10 km at 5.5%. It's not the Angliru, but it's a good test.
Johan: Yes, it's a short but tough stage. I think we'll see the favorites well placed, but I don't think there will be big differences. For me, the big candidate tomorrow is Giulio Ciccone. He's in great shape, he won in San Sebastian, also in Burgos, and this kind of finish is perfect for him.
Spencer: I agree. My money's on Ciccone, too. He may even wear red tomorrow.
Johan: Exactly. I don't rule out Almeida or Vingegaard if they want to mark territory, but my first choice is Ciccone.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Yes, Roglic could theoretically have beaten Sepp. Jonas must have had complete confidence that he could come back and win the Vuelta another year. Visma had not allowed Roglic to ride the Tour that year, so his future did not look so bright, despite his narrow Giro win..Hills3315-11-2026
- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
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