Monaco: Great Britain's Matt Brennan sprinted to triumph in the second stage of the Vuelta a España on Sunday, as the overall race favourite Tadej Pogacar retained the leader's red jersey. The 21-year-old Brennan, competing in his first Grand Tour, capitalized on the final kilometres of the 214km stretch from Monaco to Manosque, clinching his inaugural stage win.
According to BBC, Brennan's teammate Wout van Aert and Tour de France winner Pogacar appeared set to contest the victory. However, as the race neared its conclusion, Van Aert was reeled in and Pogacar chose to conserve energy, presenting Brennan with a golden opportunity. "We started off with the ambition of Wout trying to get in the red jersey today," Brennan remarked, reflecting on the strategic planning of Team Visma-Lease a Bike, which he joined in 2025. "We had that plan and then I was always going to be in the background for the sprint in case that plan [didn't work] ... and that's exactly what happened. Hopefully it's not the last one, but it's nice."
Spaniard Pau Miquel Delgado, representing Bahrain Victorious, secured second place, while UAE Team Emirates' Pogacar finished in third. Despite Pogacar's third-place finish, he remains atop the general classification, maintaining a nine-second lead over Van Aert, who holds second place. Brennan's victory propels him to third in the overall standings, trailing Pogacar by just 10 seconds.
Britain’s Ethan Hayter, who narrowly missed winning the opening stage time trial to Pogacar, was initially part of a small breakaway group. Hayter seemed poised to claim the overall lead after securing six bonus seconds in an intermediate sprint. However, he eventually fell back, crossing the line 31 seconds behind the stage leader, placing him 13th in the general classification.
Josh Tarling, another British rider, finished third in the opening stage, just over a week after the tragic loss of his brother Finlay in a crash. Tarling ended in 125th place in the second stage. Monday's race will see riders head into the French Pyrenees, culminating in a mountain finish at Font Romeu near the Spanish border.
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