Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 2025 Stage 2

March 25, 2025 The race heads out of Banyoles, a place well-known to nearly every professional cyclist given its proximity to Girona, and goes North to Figueres where the riders will take on a lap of 44KM before coming back into town for dragging uphill sprint after 177KM. The category 1 test of Coll de Sant Pere de Rodes tops out halfway through the stage which should give the fast men a chance to get back in touch before the finish in Figueres. Mother Nature finally showed some mercy to the riders, providing a dry forecast for the day of racing. Calum Johnston of Caja Rural Seguros RGA, Diego Uriarte of Equipo Kern Pharma, and Danny van der Tuuk of Euskatel-Euskadi got up the road in the early break. With 86KM to go, halfway up the Coll de Sant Pere de Rodes, only Uriarte and van der Tuuk were still in the front but the peloton was just 40 seconds back. Visma-Lease a Bike starting setting a hard pace which dispatched riders out the back. Mario Aparicio of Burgo-Burpellet BH attacked from the peloton and bridged the 30 second gap to the two leaders with 82KM to go and 1KM to the top of the climb. Aparicio attacked almost immediately and took the Mountains points but he and the others were caught by the bottom with 71KM remaining. The bunch got active with the Intermediate Sprint approaching in Garriguella at 67.5KM. Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe set up a lead out for Jan Tratnik to snag the bonus seconds but they went too early and were rolled on the line by Juan Ayuso of UAE-XRG and Axel Laurance of Ineos with Tratnik taking the final solitary second. A threat of crosswinds made the peloton nervous and it was a real washing machine in the bunch but it settled back down as they entered Figueres and crossed the finish line with 44KM to go. The group continued to roll along until 10KM to go when the road widened and teams got in color order for the run to the finish. The speed in the final 8KM was incredible, averaging 60KM/HR. Geraint Thomas of Ineos did a huge pull under 2KM to go. Alpecin-Deceuninck took over and dropped Kaden Groves off on the inside line of a sweeping left turn at 200M. Axel Laurance started his sprint to Groves' left with Ethan Vernon making a run as well. The three riders were neck and neck at 100M but Matthew Brennan of Visma-Lease a Bike came from Vernon's slipstream with a full head of steam. Vernon made a lunge for the line and was able to take the victory by a wheel. Brennan beat Groves by the smallest of margins on the bike throw, with Laurance next in fourth. Brennan kept the GC lead but will certainly relinquish the jersey tomorrow as the riders head to La Molina.