Iván García Cortina wins Stage 2 of the 2025 Vuelta a Asturias in spectacular fashion

Iván García Cortina claimed victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a Asturias — the race of his childhood and in his home region — delivering a powerful performance that culminated in a dramatic sprint finish. The Movistar Team rider prevailed after a long and gruelling breakaway, during which he was dropped but managed to claw his way back to outsprint UAE Team Emirates XRG’s Julius Johansen at the line.

Meanwhile, Marc Soler solidified his hold on the overall lead following the unexpected abandonment of Steff Cras, who had won the opening stage and was seen as his main rival for the general classification.

Stage 1 had already shaped the race’s narrative, with Cras narrowly defeating Soler in a two-man sprint. The rest of the GC contenders finished just over a minute behind, setting up a tight duel for the leader’s jersey. With Cras now out, Soler — riding for UAE Team Emirates XRG — finds himself in a commanding position heading into the final stage on Sunday.

Despite the continued lack of live television coverage (though nightly recaps are available on Asturian TV), fans received more timely updates through social media during the second stage. The day’s breakaway featured five riders: Julius Johansen (UAE Team Emirates XRG), Iván García Cortina (Movistar Team), López de Goicoechea (Spanish National Team), and MyVelo teammates Jakob Schmidt and Jan Sommer.

It was the MyVelo duo who led over the first intermediate sprint in Cangas de Onís. The group’s advantage ballooned to over ten minutes as two chasers — Sergio Trueba (Illes Balears) and Clovis Sanscartier (XSpeed) — attempted to bridge the gap. The peloton responded in time to reel in the chasers, and at the second sprint in Nava, the original break remained intact and in control.

As the race hit the Alto de la Casilla — the second categorized climb of the day — Goicoechea crested first, followed by Schmidt, Johansen, and García Cortina. At the final intermediate sprint in Sotrondio, Jan Sommer once again took top honours. Then chaos struck.

On the descent of the Faya de los Lobos, race leader Steff Cras crashed out, forcing his withdrawal. Sensing opportunity, UAE riders Antonio Morgado, Adrià Pericas, and Marc Soler surged from the peloton, briefly gaining ground. Soler, now the provisional race leader following Cras’s exit, pressed on solo in an attempt to reach the breakaway.

Behind, Samu Fernández (Caja Rural–Seguros RGA) and Hugo de la Calle (Burgos-Burpellet BH) launched counterattacks, hoping to bridge across. As the race fragmented, the breakaway began to dissolve, leaving only García Cortina and Johansen out front. They held a lead of 1:50 over Soler, 2:05 over Fernández and de la Calle, and 3:26 over the main group of favorites.

With 20 kilometers remaining, Johansen attacked and dropped García Cortina, quickly building a lead of over a minute. But the Asturian wasn’t done. With just 7 kilometers to go, he launched a final, desperate attack. Meanwhile, Fernández and de la Calle had managed to reel in Soler.

In a stunning twist, García Cortina bridged back to Johansen and outkicked him in a rainy, dramatic sprint in Pola de Lena — a fitting victory on home soil.