MADRID, 26th April, 2025 (WAM) - In a repeat of the opening day's results, UAE Team Emirates-XRG finished second and third on stage 2 of the Vuelta Asturias. Only, this time, the reward was all the sweeter, with third-placed Marc Soler leaving the rest of the peloton behind and riding into the race leader's jersey.

With Soler the best of the peloton, the day's stage was decided between the two final survivors of the breakaway, Soler's teammate Julius Johansen and Movistar's Ivan Garcia Cortina.
The pair went hammer and tongue through the final 20 kilometres, but ultimately came through the flamme rouge together, before Cortina got the better of the Dane in the sprint to the line. Taking second place, Johansen secured his best result since signing for UAE Team Emirates-XRG over the winter.

Behind Soler on the stage, his teammates Antonio Morgado and Adri Pericas finished sixth and seventh, respectively, with the latter moving up to fourth place overall heading into Saturday.
Earlier in the day, UAE Team Emirates-XRG had shifted their game plan from the opening day, with the ever-reliable Johansen given the green light to enter the breakaway. Using his power and tenacity to secure his spot, the 25-year-old found himself joined out front by Cortina, Jan Sommer (MYVELO Pro Cycling, Iker Gomez (Equipo Finisher-Kern Pharma) and Jakob Schmidt (MYVELO Pro Cycling).

Working in unison, the break developed a handy advantage and despite their partnership breaking down as the strongest riders emerged, their gap was such that the peloton never looked likely to contest the stage honours.

With Johansen marking Cortina out front, Soler got to work at attacking the race lead of Steff Cras (Team TotalEnergies) behind. Sadly, though, the contest never kicked into life, with the Belgian rider crashing out of the race and placing Soler into the provisional lead out on the road.

In Cras' absence, Soler's eyes turned to distancing the rest of his rivals, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG going on the offensive as a unit. At one point, Morgado, Soler and Pericas all distanced the rest of the peloton on the steep slopes of the Alto de la Colladiella, before Soler made his march alone. Taking an advantage over the top of the category 1 climb, the 31-year-old pressed on and only stretched his gap on the descent.

With Soler's strength apparent, Pericas and Morgado continued to mark the moves behind as Johansen engaged in a to-and-fro contest with Cortina out front.
In the final 20km, both Johansen and Cortina attempted to shake free of one another, but no solo attack made it stick before the finish in Pola de Lena. As such, it all came down to a two-up sprint, with Soler crossing the line 41 seconds back.

The Spaniard now takes a lead of 1:51 heading into stage 3, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG also holding the points jersey (through Soler) and the lead of the teams classification. Looking ahead to the final two stages, the task ahead is now to retain the race lead through to the end.

Soler said: "A break of six went from the beginning with Johansen in there for us. A few teams started chasing hard and on the descent of the first climb and it started raining hard which complicated the race. There were several splits in the bunch and on the Cat.1 climb I went away solo.

"Julius was in the front covering Cortina and I was behind. He managed a good second place and I was third and took the leaders jersey . Steff Crass crashed on one of the wet descents which was a pity as it's not the way you want to inherit a race lead. I wish him a speedy recovery.

"The goal now will be to keep the lead and try with Morgado and Covi tomorrow for the stage."
Vuelta Asturias stage 2 results:
1. Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar) 3:48:33
2. Julius Johansen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +1"
3. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +41"

Vuelta Asturias general classification after stage 2:
1. Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 7:50:57
2. Hugo de la Calle (Burgos Burpellet BH) +1:51
3. Samuel Fernandez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) +1:53
4. Adri Pericas (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +3:12