Vuelta a Andalucia stage 2 live - Pogacar wins again

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucía Ruta del Sol!

Today's 156km stage is another day in the hills above Grenada.   

After Tadej Pogacar's aggressive victory yesterday, we're expecting more of the same today.

It's only 7C in the Andalucian hills but Pogacar has the leader's yellow jersey to keep him warm. 

The riders have left Diezma and face a gradual 40km of descending roads.  

To understand just how strong and dominant Pogacar was on stage 1, checkout our full stage report. 

Tadej Pogacar goes solo again to win Vuelta a Andalucia stage 1

There is an immediate attack by 12 riders, with demon descender Matej Mohorič leading the charge. 

Today's start is perfect for a breakaway to form. 

After a fast opening 15km, the 12 attackers have a 1:00 lead on the peloton.

These are the attackers: 

Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious),  Joe Dombrowski (Astana),  Iván García Cortina (Movistar), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco-Alula), Julen Amezqueta (Caja Rural), Davide Bais (Eolo- Kometa), Frederik Frison (Lotto Dstny),  Luis Angel Mate (Euskaltel),  Aaron Van Poucke (Team Flanders-Baloise), Alex Colman (Team Flanders-Baloise).

After 22km the gap is up to 1:05. 

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty and Ineos are leading the chase. Both teams don't have a rider in the attack, but some of their big rivals do. 

The descent from the high hills means the average speed for the opening 40 minutes is above 50km/h. 

The 12 attackers have a gap of 55 seconds as they hit the valley road. It'll be interesting to see if Ineos and Intermarche keep chasing. 

As if playing chess, UAE have Alessandro Covi in the attack. That means UAE don't need to lead the chase.

But will they be willing to let the break stay away and so for Pogacar to lose the leader's jersey? That's the question only they know the answer to. 

Covi lost 11:49 on yesterday's stage so is not an alternative leader for UAE. 

Nelson Oliveira of Movistar is best placed in the attack, at 2:41. 

UAE have laid out their opening move. Now it's up to the other teams to respond. 

115km to go

Coming up is the Puerto del Zegrí climb. 

It is only 3rd category but is steep. 

The race hits the the Puerto del Zegrí climb. This will hurt after the fast descent from the start.

It's interesting that both Movistar and  Flanders-Baloise have two riders in the break. We shall see what their plans are. 

8 teams have a representative at the head of the race as different team tactics unfold.

These are the early attackers

As expected, Aaron Van Poucke (Team Flanders-Baloise) won the intermediate sprint and so will keep the blue jersey he took by going in the break yesterday. 

He is making a big effort to give Flanders-Baloise some time on the podium. 

In a similar move, Luis Angel Mate (Euskaltel) was first over the Puerto del Zegrí climb to protect his teammate Gotzon Martin's leads in the climber's competition. 

100km to go

The speed remains high, with the average speed at 50.5km/h for the first hour. 

Vamos!

Today's stage finishes in Alcalá la Real, on the steep cobbled climb up to the line. 

Alessandro Covi perhaps wants a second win after his victory in 2022.

Gruppo compatto. 

With 99km to race and after a hard chase,  the peloton finally swept up the break of 12 riders. 

It was clear that Intermarche did not want to miss the move.

Of course, there are immediately new attacks, with Brent Van Moer (Lotto Dstny) and Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) surging away.

The riders are heading west in the Andalucian hills. They will soon start a series of loops around the Alcalá la Real finish town, which includes the Los Rosales and then the Puerto de la Hoya de Charilla climbs. 

Both are category 2 climbs and include other climbs before them. We expect the race to change on the first one and then explode on the second one. It is only 20km from the finish. 

This is the stage profile.

After the second intermediate sprint in Frailes, the Los Rosales climb starts straight away.

We can expect a new attack to form there. 

Just before the sprint, Brent Van Moer (Lotto Dstny) and Geoffrey Soupe (TotalEnergies) are caught. 

It's time for a new race to start.

The riders are on the Los Rosales climb.

It'll be interesting to see what Dylan Teuns can do today on the climbs and the tough finish. 

Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergues) was first over the Puerto los Rosales as part of a new attack. 

50km to go

There are 9 riders in the new attack. 

They lead by 1:30.

We talked about Teuns and he is in the break now.

Teuns won Fleche-Wallonne team last year and seems ideal for today's tough uphill finish.

The peloton ids at 1:44 and does not seem to overly concerned yet. 

They know the Puerto de la Hoya de Charilla is still to come.

UAE are leading the peloton. They don't want Teuns to gain too much of a gap.

35km to go

The break is going flat out but the chase is not. 

Today is perhaps a day for the break to stay away and there have a great chance now. 

The riders are on a fast valley road on the way to the Puerto los Rosales climb.

It is 10km long, with a steady first part, some steep sections and final kilometre at 9%.

Will Pogacar do his thing there and attack? 

30km to go

The break is on the lower slopes of the Puerto de la Hoya de Charilla climb.

All the GC teams are on the front of the peloton but the gap to attack is still 1:40. 

Over to you Teuns and Mohoric, the stage is up for grabs. 

The chase was on during stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol

Ineos lead the chase at the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol

As the climb begins in earnest, the break follows apart.

Things are moving in the peloton too.

Bahrain lead the chase and now Landa has jumped away. With Pogacar on his wheel!  

Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol race leader Tadej Pogacar

Pogacar has dropped Landa and is going on alone, in pursuit of Teuns. 

He's a cannibal!

Pogacar has raced twice and won twice so far in 2023. 

Can he win again?  

Pogacar is two kilometres from the summit. 

He's about to catch the rest of the breakaway. He could jump passed them and go solo.

Contact.

Pogacar joins Teuns, Mohoric, Rota and Zimmerman of Intermarche.

Behind Santiago Buitrago leads the chase for Landa, with Mas and Rodriguez of Ineos there too.

Pogacar is now on the front of the attack but he has not tried to distance them. 

He perhaps wants them to help him on the descent and flat road to the finish.

22km to go

The Pogacar attack passes a peak on the Puerto de la Hoya de Charilla but there is more road to climb.

The gap to the chasers is only 15 seconds but the riders are on dirt roads. 

The two groups will come back together soon. Pogacar will be alone but that perhaps doesn't worry him.

Bahrain have 3 riders in the move: Landa, Mohoric and Buitrago. 

Also there are Zimmerman and Rota of Intermarche, Mas (Movistar), Rodriguez (Ineos) and Teuns (Israel). 

Tao Geoghegan Hart of Ineos is at 40 seconds. 

The climb is finally over and who else but Mohoric is on the front for the descent.

Tao Geoghegan Hart is also taking risks on the descent to try to close the gap. 

Mohoric has a gap and is tucked low over his bike. 

He doesn't have a dropper post today as he did when he won Milan-San Remo. 

13km to go

Mohoric has a seven-second gap. 

Is that enough as the road flattens? Probably not with the steep climb up to the finish.

Mohoric is caught. 

Now it will be a fight for the stage.

10km to go

Tao Geoghegan Hart has been joined by other riders but can they close the gap? 

Probably not.

Pogacar is working in the attack but will surely rocket away on the cobbled uphill finish in Alcalá la Real. 

The road descends to the foot of the climb. 

4km to go

This has become a tactical game. There is a race to the foot of the climb.

The last kilometre climbs at an average of 12%. 

3km to go

Here comes Tao Geoghegan Hart with Cariso on his wheel. 

Rota attacks! 

He's joined by Teuns and Mas. 

Pogacar chases too but seems unsure of what to do.

Zimmerman also attacks but is chased down. 

1km to go

It's time for the climb to the finish. 

Can anyone beat Pogacar? 

Mohoric surges first as the road steepens.  

The road is steep as it climbs through the houses. 

It is like Fleche Wallonne but can Teuns beat Pogacar on a cobbled finish? 

Mas accelerates as the cobbles start.

Mas is on the inside line as Pogacar takes the wider line. 

Here is the finish! 

Pogacar kicks away again! 

Pogacar wins again! 

This time in the leader's yellow jersey! 

That is three from three, in just four days. 

That was another incredible performance from Pogacar. 

He joined the break on the last big climb, marked his rivals, matched Mas when he attacked on the cobbles in the final 500 metres and then stomped on the pedals with 150m to go to win alone.

Pogacar finished four seconds ahead of Mas, Buitrago, Landa and Rodriguez. 

Surprisingly, Teuns was only 7th at 21 seconds but he had been in the break. 

Pogacar now leads overall by 48 seconds. 

Buitrago is second and Landa third at 52 seconds, with Rodriguez fourth at 52 seconds too. 

Mas is fifth at a distant 1:47. 

Here is Pogacar as he charged across to the attack on the last big climb.

It's going to be a long week for UAE Team Emirates protecting Pogacar's lead but also for all his rivals who are already well down overall after just two stages.

Meanwhile, other riders are still finishing the stage and wondering what happened ahead of them. 

Pogacar is on another planet.  

Tadej Pogacar won stage 2 in the leader's yellow jersey

Look how Pogacar distanced Mas in the last 150 metres.

Pogacar seemed pretty happy. 

These are the results from the stage.

Our results are always powered by FirstCycling

We're still waiting to hear from Tadej Pogacar after his third win of the week. 

But he seemed pretty happy to win again.

This shot kind of sums up today's stage and Pogacar's dominance.

Pogacar spoke after collecting more winner's trophies and a new leader's yellowe jersey.

"We didn’t aim for the final but in the end everyone wanted to be in the breakaway, so the race was full on from the start," he said. 

"Bahrain was attacking on the penultimate climb and I had to respond, so I was there in the front.  I tried to follow all the attacks and in the end it was a perfect finish."

Asked if he can win yet again on Friday, pogacar was a little cautious. 

"I don’t what tomorrow holds but for sure we’ll try to make as relaxed race as possible," he said. 

"As far as I can see, all the teams want to race full gas and we can’t spend too much energy on the front tomorrow too. We only have in mind to keep the yellow." 

To ready our full stage report by Barry Ryan and to see our growing photo gallery and full results, click below.

Tadej Pogacar powers past Mas on final climb to repeat at Vuelta a Andalucia with stage 2 victory

Thanks for joining us today for our full live coverage of stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol. 

We'll be back on Friday for full coverage of stage 3 to see if Pogacar can do it all over again.