Commenting on his triumph amidst such challenges, Krön shared, “The bad weather conditions made for a difficult and dangerous day on the bike. With the wet roads and the neutralisation, there would be chances, and I’ve worked incredibly hard for this Vuelta.”
Kaden Groves from Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinted his way to a commendable second place, while Andrea Vendrame from AG2R Citroën secured the third spot.
Due to the treacherous conditions, race officials took the unprecedented step of recording the general classification time 9km before the finish. Yet, the time bonus on Castell de Montjuic’s last stretch was pivotal in the scramble for the coveted red leader’s jersey.
Amidst the anticipation, Andrea Piccolo of EF Education-EasyPost emerged as the new leader. He candidly expressed his initial uncertainty: “We started the race with a six-second gap… I knew that maybe only two guys in the race could make up the difference with the bonus seconds for the red jersey, but we had to wait until the confirmation.” Overflowing with gratitude, he added, “I am really happy with my performance today. The team trusted me, and we went from the start of the stage for the red jersey.”
The stage was marred with mishaps due to the weather, causing multiple racers trouble, including big names like Primož Roglič, Geraint Thomas, and Evenepoel.
A poignant moment came when Krön dedicated his first-ever Grand Tour stage victory to teammate Tijl De Decker, who tragically passed away in a recent training accident. He emotionally revealed, “I always said I would dedicate my first win in a Grand Tour to my late mother… I would really like to dedicate this win to Tijl De Decker. My mum will have to wait a bit more, but that second win will hopefully come soon.”
Vuelta a España Stage 2 Results
1. Andreas KRON (Lotto Dstny) – 04:10:06
2. Kaden GROVES (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – s.t.
3. Andrea VENDRAME (AG2R Citroën Team) – s.t.
4. Andrea BAGIOLI (Soudal Quick-Step) – s.t.
5. Fernando BARCELÓ (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) – s.t.
6. Iván GARCÍA CORTINA (Movistar Team) – s.t.
7. Romain GRÉGOIRE (Groupama-FDJ) – s.t.
8. Lennert VAN EETVELT (Lotto Dstny) – s.t.
9. Marijn VAN DEN BERG (EF Education-EasyPost) – s.t.
10. Kobe GOOSSENS (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) – s.t.
Vuelta a España General Classification After Stage 2
1. Andrea PICCOLO (EF Education – EasyPost) – 04:27:23
2. Javier ROMO OLIVER (Astana Qazaqstan Team) – 04:27:34 (+11s)
3. Ivan GARCIA CORTINA (Movistar Team) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
4. Romain BARDET (Team DSM-Firmenich) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
5. David Max POOLE (Team DSM-Firmenich) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
6. Nelson OLIVEIRA (Movistar Team) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
7. Imanol ERVITI (Movistar Team) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
8. Enric MAS (Movistar Team) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
9. Einer Augusto RUBIO REYES (Movistar Team) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
10. Sean FLYNN (Team DSM-Firmenich) – 04:27:36 (+13s)
