Pidcock sprints to Vuelta a Andalucia stage-two win
Britain's Tom Pidcock sprinted clear on stage two of the Vuelta a Andalucia to claim his fourth victory of the season. After a sharp final climb Q36.5 rider Pidcock launched his sprint with 150m to go, with his former Ineos Grenadiers team-mate Brandon Rivera finishing second. Another ex-colleague, Pavel Sivakov, now riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, finished third to take the overall race lead 32 seconds ahead of Pidcock, who rises to third in the general classification in the five-stage event.Pidcock, who was disappointed to finish eighth on stage one after racing "over-enthusiastically", was much happier with his performance on Thursday."Today I raced really smart. I didn't have a big panic, I let the race play out, and in the end it was perfect. I know I'm in great shape," said Pidcock, who celebrated by jumping his bike off a speedbump after the line."It's really nice to get my hands in the air and be up there on GC."The 25-year-old has now won three individual stages this year, as well as the general classification at the AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia.His latest success arrived on the punchy 133.2km route from Alcaudete to Torredelcampo after he bridged across to the front of the race just under 40km from the finish to be involved in a five-man breakaway.They comfortably held off a group containing overnight leader Maxim van Gils before Pidcock punched clear to win in style.
Stage two results
1. Tom Pidcock (GB/Q36.5) 3hrs 22mins 04secs2. Brandon Rivera (Col/Ineos Grenadiers) Same time3. Pavel Sivakov (Fra/UAE Team Emirates - XRG) "4. Clement Berthet (Fra/ Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) "5. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) "6. Maxime Van Gils (Bel/Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe) 1min 10secs7. Markus Hoelgaard (Nor/Uno-X Mobility) Same time8. Tim Wellens (Bel/UAE Team Emirates - XRG) "9. Ruben Guerreiro (Por/Movistar) "10. Jose Manuel Diaz (Spa/Burgos Burpellet BH) "
General classification after stage two
1. Pavel Sivakov (Fra/UAE Team Emirates - XRG) 7hrs 4mins 35secs2. Clement Berthet (Fra/ Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +23secs3.Tom Pidcock (GB/Q36.5) +32secs4. Maxime Van Gils (Bel/Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe) +1min 03secs5. Tim Wellens (Bel/UAE Team Emirates - XRG) Same time6. Marc Soler (Spa/UAE Team Emirates - XRG) +1min 38secs7. Steff Crass (Bel/TotalEnergies) +1min 42secs8. Johannes Staune-Mittet (Nor/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) +2mins 43secs9. Markus Hoelgaard (Nor/Uno-X Mobility) +2mins 46secs10. Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra/Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) 3mins 02secs
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal confirmation imminent with next two priorities clear
Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal is almost complete as the Gunners look to confirm their first summer transfer for Mikel Arteta but still require more business in the coming weeks Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi has arrived in London to kickstart Arsenal's summer spending. Zubimendi, 26, has agreed a £51m move to the Emirates and will complete the final steps before being announced as an Arsenal player. Real Madrid made a late push for the Real Sociedad star but it was too late as Arsenal were always confident they had the player's word and agreement on a summer switch. Arsenal have been tracking him for several seasons as Mikel Arteta is a huge fan of the Spain star who helped his nation beat England last year to win the Euros. Arsenal are still in talks with Thomas Partey over extending his deal but the pressure is on because his contract expires on June 30 and there has been little progress. But Partey has been keen to extend and negotiations have been at a delicate point in the past week or so. It remains to be seen whether they can keep him at the club. Arsenal will hope that Zubimendi is the start of a big summer with sporting director Andrea Berta under big pressure to deliver a striker and a left winger. Berta has also been working on other positions as he looks to strengthen in his first window in power. There may be scope to add more players if they can offload some members of their squad. Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to go this summer, while there has been interest in Jakub Kiwior. But the priority is a striker with RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyökeres at the top of their list. They have made little progress on agreeing a fee with both clubs holding out for a big price while Sesko knows he can command a big wage as he is one of the most sought after young strikers in Europe. Sesko is reported to have agreed personal terms with the north London side and Leipzig are open to the player's sale after missing out on Champions League qualification. But the Bundesliga team are only prepared to part ways if they receive a fee north of £60m. Arsenal have kept Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins on their radar after trying in January while they also want an elite left winger to bolster their attacking and creativity options.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Thomas Partey 'set to leave' Arsenal as contract talks reach stalemate
Thomas Partey has been strongly linked with an exit from Arsenal after approaching the end of his contract with no agreement in place - and a report has claimed he is set to leave after talks broke down Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is set to leave the club on a free transfer after talks over a new contract came to a "complete standstill", according to reports. Partey has been at the Emirates for the last five seasons after joining from Atletico Madrid for around £45million and he has gone on to make 167 appearances. He was a key player in Arsenal's failed bid to win the Premier League title and Champions League last season after making 31 starts in the league, but now the Ghana international looks to be on his way out. As reported by ESPN, Arsenal's negotiations with Partey have broken down and he is now expected to leave when his deal expires on June 30. Barcelona have been linked for a swoop for Partey, while Turkish sides could also be interested in snapping him up for free, the report adds. It comes at a time when Arsenal are expected to sign Martin Zubimendi imminently, though Arteta has insisted he still wants to have Partey in the squad and the news will come as a disappointment to the Spaniard. When Arteta was asked if he felt the midfielder deserved a new deal last season, he said: "Yes. I think consistency-wise it's been his best season. The way he's played, performed, his availability, has been exceptional and he's a really important player for us." Partey has also spoken out about his future this month as he stated his family would influence any decision on his future - but said he would leave it to Arsenal and his agent. "I think the first thing is where are you happy and where do you feel at home," he said. "At the end of the day you've been in football, you've been in different teams. "Then it's about what is your next objective what do you want to achieve next. You still have to look at all this and at the end of the day we all have a family that needs money, this is our mind. "We are not getting younger. There are a lot of things where you have to look now with a family, where you want them to be happy. When you are young you just play anywhere. "I'm an Arsenal fan, I can't decide anything and just have to leave it to my agent and the club. Me, I just want to enjoy football." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Carlos Cuesta sends message to Mikel Arteta after confirming Arsenal exit
Carlos Cuesta has bid farewell to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal after confirming he will leave the club to take over at Parma. The 29-year-old has been a highly-regarded member of the Arsenal coaching staff and one of Arteta's closest confidantes at the Emirates for the last five seasons. But he is now set to step out on his own with Parma turning to the Spaniard in their search for a replacement for Christian Chivu, who stepped down from his post to take the Inter Milan job. Cuesta has now confirmed his imminent exit with an emotional goodbye to the Gunners. 'After five beautiful years it's hard to put this into words, but I can only express how grateful I am for having lived my day-to-day with such special people and feel what it means to represent this football club, with its incredible history and value,' he wrote. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. 'The only thing I've ever tried to do was give everything I had inside of me every single day. 'I was inspired by the culture that was created, by the hunger of every person of the organisation and by the unity that we had in any situation that we had to face. 'It has been a privilege to have had the chance to work with the players, staff, directors and all the employees of the club and at the same time, to receive an extra push from our amazing fans in every match. 'Because of the quality of its people, I'm convinced that the best moments for this football club are still yet to come. Enjoy the journey, because it is a very exciting one. Thank you Arsenal.' To those who have worked with Cuesta, it will come as no shock to see him emerging from Arteta's shadow to take a senior role at a leading club. Speaking to The Athletic last year, Granit Xhaka, who had moved to Bayer Leverkusen by that stage, gave an insight into how and why such a young coach was able to make the impression he did at Arsenal. 'Of course, you are always surprised when someone of that young age comes to a big club like Arsenal,' Xhaka said. 'My feeling from the first meeting with him was that first of all, as a person, he is very honest, very straight, but he also had great knowledge about football. 'He knows what he's doing, he knows how to speak with the players, what the players need. It was just amazing from the beginning.' 'How Carlos improved — day by day, month by month, year on year — was unbelievable. The individual meetings that we had with him were always on point, very clear to understand, and I was very grateful to learn many many new things 'The relationship between Carlos and me was very special. I think how we were thinking as people was exactly the same. The honesty we showed each other, and other people, was always the same. 'He helped me a lot. We had so many individual meetings, video sessions, and conversations. To be honest, these things helped bring me where I am today.' Cuesta dedicated a second Instagram post to Arteta, 'the man who made it happen' for the young coach. 'Thank you. That's the only thing I can say,' he wrote. 'Thank you for your trust, for giving me the opportunity to be next to you and for showing me with constant facts which is the meaning of the word 'courage'. 'But more than that, thank you for being an incredible coach, an incredible leader, and an even better human being. More Trending 'It has been a true privilege to learn from you, to feel your support in any circumstance and to share the ups and downs of the journey always seeing the positive side of it. 'You've taught me a lot, and I will carry it always with me. 'From the bottom of my heart, thank you.' MORE: Premier League rivals to make Marcus Rashford transfer offer to 'escape' Man Utd MORE: Pep Guardiola gives Rayan Cherki verdict after 'embarrassing' Man City debut MORE: Benjamin Sesko's agent sends message to Arsenal and Man Utd over transfer
