OUREM, Portugal (AP) — Kaden Groves prevailed in the final sprint to win the second stage of the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday, with Wout van Aert finishing second to take the overall leader’s red jersey.
Groves, an Australian riding for Alpecin-Deceuninck, held on at the end after a 194-kilometer (120.5-mile) route from Cascais to Ourem.
“It’s a really nice way to start this Vuelta,” Groves said. “It’s been a hard year for myself, I hadn’t won yet this season. I came super motivated to change that and I have to thank my team for a super strong ride today.”
Van Aert, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, finished behind Groves at the line but opened a three-second overall lead over American Brandon McNulty of UAE Team Emirates. McNulty won Saturday’s first stage — a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) individual time trial from Lisbon to Oeiras.
“Of course, I wanted to win the stage,” Van Aert said. “My team did a really good job to make it a bunch sprint, so it’s unfortunate that I came second. Also, today I knew that finishing in the first three meant the red jersey, so all in all it’s a good day.”
Van Aert’s teammate Dylan van Baarle had to withdraw after a crash.
The first three stages of this year’s Vuelta are taking place in Portugal. The third one on Monday will take riders through a 191.2-kilometer (118.8-mile) hilly route from Lousa to Castelo Branco.
The three-week race — the final Grand Tour of the season — includes eight mountain stages and two individual time-trial stages ahead of its finale in the Spanish capital of Madrid. Only one stage will be flat.
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