"Nobody should be surprised" - Bruyneel and Martin discuss Vingegaard's stage 2 win at the Vuelta

Stage two of the 2025 Vuelta a España provided both drama and confirmation of pre-race expectations. Jonas Vingegaard, despite being caught in a mass crash with much of his Team Visma | Lease a Bike team, surged back to take victory ahead of Giulio Ciccone in a uphill sprint finish. The photo finish revealed only the narrowest of margins, yet the Danish champion celebrated confidently in the final meters. As Johan Bruyneel noted on The Move podcast: “It’s actually not that big of a margin, but they know. I mean both of them, Ciccone knew he didn’t win, and Jonas knew he won.”

The crash itself could have ended the day for Vingegaard, who was left bloodied and chasing back through the rain. Spencer Martin recalled, “He gave a thumbs up as he was chasing back on to the camera. I kind of thought that was a bluff, but clearly it wasn’t.” By the time the peloton hit the steep part of the final climb, Visma had regrouped and delivered their leader into position. Sitting second wheel from four kilometers out, Vingegaard launched past Ciccone in the final meters to seize both the stage win and the red jersey.

Bruyneel admitted he was surprised the group stayed so large on the climb, but the result was hardly unexpected: “If you think about what happened a month ago, let’s not forget Jonas was the only rider able to follow Pogacar in the last week of the Tour. If you look at that Jonas from a month ago and compare him to the field that is here, it’s only logical he wins.”

The incident-filled stage also underlined the unpredictability of grand tours. Axel Zingle dislocated his shoulder during the crash, twice popping it back into place, only to later abandon the race before the start of stage 3. His misfortune was compounded when, according to Bruyneel, “He told a spectator to hold his bike while he went into the ambulance, and when he came back out, the bike was gone. Only in Italy.”

Beyond the chaos, the finishing order gave fresh insights into the pecking order. Egan Bernal, once considered lost to his injuries, impressed by finishing in the lead group. “For Bernal that’s a great result for his morale at least,” said Bruyneel. David Gaudu also surprised, looking sharper than expected after a disappointing season. Bruyneel was struck by his condition: “He looks so skinny. His face looks like a knife. He looks sharper than ever.”

Not all contenders impressed. UAE Team Emirates, racing without Pogacar, seemed disorganized according to the analysts. Spencer Martin was blunt: “UAE, when Pogacar is not there, they just kind of look lost. Almeida and Ayuso were freelancing, never in good position, and they lose 12 seconds to Jonas. Not really what you want.” Bruyneel downplayed the damage, calling it “more a mental thing than anything else,” but he acknowledged that being caught out early was not ideal.

Ciccone’s near-miss also prompted debate about his long-term prospects. “I don’t think Ciccone for the podium,” Bruyneel said. “He’s never finished top ten in a Grand Tour. He’s in great shape, but he’s going for stage wins.” Spencer Martin agreed, praising his timing but pointing out that Vingegaard was simply too strong.

One rider who continues to provoke debate is Tom Pidcock. His Q36.5 Pro Cycing team worked hard all day to control the race, yet he could only manage tenth. Bruyneel questioned the long-term expectations, especially considering Pidcock had a very quiet grand tour debut for Q36.5 at the Giro in May.

“Podium would be extremely surprising. He’s never been top ten in a Grand Tour before. This guy’s a winner, but I don’t think he has the attention span for three weeks.” Martin added that the pressure may come as much from his team’s invitations as from his own ambitions: “It does seem like maybe that’s what Q36.5 wants, not what he wants.”

As for the general classification picture, the consensus was that Vingegaard’s display confirmed his form while leaving room for others to grow into the race. “The picking order of the favorites has been respected,” Bruyneel summarized. “Jonas is in good shape, Almeida, Ayuso, O’Connor, Hindley, Jorgenson, they’re all right there, just a few seconds back.”

Looking ahead to stage three, both analysts predicted a sprint. Bruyneel tipped Jasper Philipsen, while Martin backed Mads Pedersen: “If Mads came to the race to win stages like this, we know he’s in good form.”

Stage two will be remembered less for the narrowness of the winning margin and more for what it revealed: Vingegaard has arrived at the Vuelta in shape to dominate, Bernal and Gaudu look revived, UAE seem uncertain, and Pidcock’s long-term path remains unclear. Or as Bruyneel put it: “Jonas is the second-best stage racer in the world. Nobody should be surprised by today’s result.”