Visma reigns at La Vuelta and Van Aert is the new race leader after the second stage

After more than five hours that sometimes seemed endless, the second stage of La Vueltathe penultimate to Portugalwas decided as might be expected in a massive sprint, where the Alpecin runner Kaden Groves He showed his great skills as a finisher with a great success, leading the Belgian Wout Van Aertwho in his second place of the day wears the red racing jersey, after a stage also marked by incidents.

Before starting, and after signature control, Van Aert showed his cards openly. He did not agree Team Visma-Lease a Bike rider wearing the green jersey of regularity and wanting more. “Yes, the truth is that the green jersey is another one of our goals for La Vuelta. But it was achieved with good results. So the main objective is still to win stages”, adding, “many opportunities, we will see how the race goes. But, of course, today is a stage that I am looking forward to. Maybe easier to control. the race (with other teams with sprinters), but I have a lot of confidence in my team and their strength.

It is a perfect x-ray of what will happen throughout the day. Once the escape they first sought was neutralized Luis Ángel Maté and Ibon Ruiza new phase was born. The platoon controlled the escape at all times and caught the escapees 52 kilometers away, largely thanks to the work of Alpecin groupas it develops Van Aert.

The peloton was running very fast and the question of the day was what could happen on the climb to 4th port of Alto de Batalha (6.9 kilometers at 3.3%). There are several movements, such as in Mauri Vansevenant, whose tire he pinched Marc Solerbut he Visma team He did not hide and cut all the moves that happened. The long climb was full of people and, as it happens, some showed too much passion, which caused some falls, like in Czech. Mathias Vacek who came to criticize the attitude of a novice.

It was crowned 19 minutes from the finish line and very fast approaching. 2 kilometers from the finish line they had to regret another fall at high speed, in which they were involved with others Tarling and Narváez.The stage will be decided in the final stage. Affinity He developed a perfect approach to thinking about Van Aert. The sprint seemed long, on his left he advanced a Kaden Groves who won comfortably, in what was his 17th victory and first of the season, and after him came a Wout Van Aert who not only kept his word, but also began to command the race, with the American three seconds ahead. Brandon McNulty won the first day and now wearing the leader’s jersey.

Tomorrow, the third and final stage in Portugal, with two mountain passes, the first of which is second category, in another titanic battle between the teams of sprinters and the candidates for the break of the day.