Vuelta a Espana 2025 Stage 2 LIVE - Giulio Ciccone, Tom Pidcock, Jonas Vingegaard and Felix Gall all set to come out to play on first summit finish

Another day en Italia. It's a much shorter stage at 134km but it makes in even more climbing than today, just shy of 2000m. Proper Vuelta stage this one. Hope to see you all tomorrow.

Of, I think we can safely say, several.

1. Jonas Vingegaard 7'56'16"
2. Giulio Ciccone +4"
3. David Gaudu +6"
4. Egan Bernal +8"
5. Tom Pidcock +12"

Not the result Pidcock would have wanted, given all the work done by his team today, but he was right up there at the end and his general classification campaign began today. Take it day by day, eh?

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) 3'47'14"
2. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)
3. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ)
4. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers)
5. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +2''

Even as it was slow to come to the boil, the cream rose to the top. How's that for a mixed metaphor. We've just seen a replay and I'll tell you Egan Bernal finished a fabulous fourth.

He certainly celebrates as if he has. It was between the Dane and Giulio Ciccone, the Italian having the lead until the line. It was the Tour de France winner who lifted his arms aloft. He knew.

It's Kuss who responds.

Maybe 40 strong. Lidl-Trek are in control, with Baggioli now on the front. They wait.

It's going to be about the kick to the line. The gradient is about to shoot up.

I don't think that will trouble him though. Mads Pedersen is still propping up Giulio Ciccone. This is a lightening fast ascent. The road looks silky smooth, which won't hurt.

If a rider can't contribute to his leader's race, or ride for himself, he might as well knock off his effort. Wilco Kelderman still has something to give for Vingegaard.

As is Chris Juul-Jensen and Soren Kragh. Big shifts put in by all four for their team leaders.

He can see them. He knows what's coming. The peloton is thinning but it still contains most of the riders in the race.

But he only has 13 seconds. The peloton has swept up the other two.

Glivar gambles, forces Otruba to chase him down. Then Slock goes again. It's all about the combativity prize, and the remaining pair this time leave him to it. He's earned his podium place.

Limone Piemonte has already dispensed with Jasper Philipsen, but he's only the first of them, as Ineos and Visma are already laying down the hurt. The lower slopes are bearable, the low single digits, but towards the top it's closer to ten. How many riders will be left by then? Who will take the red jersey? Just 30 seconds to the front of the race now.

Just as Sir Sean said they would. It's just in time as the bees are buzzing, and the speed is picking up. The breakaway hasn't got long left now, with less than a minute of their advantage remaining, and tumbling. Groupama come through the centre, even without Guillaume Martin. EF are there for Archie Ryan. Purple jerseys are present with Ben O'Connor and Eddie Dunbar. Time to jettison the ballast because the racing is about to be ON.

The three still have almost a minute and a half, which is more than I thought they would 5km out, but Sean Kelly thinks it's still not quite enough.