The second week of the thrilling 80th Vuelta a España kicked off with a dramatic summit finish that had fans on the edge of their seats. Australian rider Jay Vine celebrated a remarkable stage double, while Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard stormed into the lead, snatching the coveted red jersey from Torstein Træen by a striking 26 seconds.

The GC: A Shifting Landscape Going into Week 2

Despite losing ground, Træen managed to hold onto the red jersey by a slim margin of 37 seconds over Vingegaard. Behind them, Portugal's Joāo Almeida sat comfortably in third at +1:15, with Great Britain's Tom Pidcock trailing close at +1:35. Here’s the updated leaderboard:

1) Torstein Træen (Norway/Bahrain-Victorious) 33:35:46 2) Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark/Visma-Lease a Bike) +0:37 3) Joāo Almeida (Portugal/UAE-Emirates) +1:15 4) Tom Pidcock (Great Britain/Q36.5) +1:35

The Race Course: Perfect for Drama

The stage unfolded with a challenging course, featuring a series of climbs, culminating in a 9.4-km ascent at a 6.1 percent gradient up El Ferial Larra Belagua. From the onset, the tension was palpable as the peloton was shaken by crashes and split attempts.

As the kilometers ticked down, a massive breakaway formed, including Vine and Canadian rider Pier-André Côté, along with several teammates. The intensity ramped up dramatically as Movistar’s Javier Romo broke away from the pack at the Alto de Las Coronas. He was soon joined by nine other riders, including Alec Segaert.

Heart-Pounding Finish at El Ferial Larra Belagua

Approaching the slopes of El Ferial, a crucial moment unfolded. Segaert surged ahead, leading the breakaway group with a substantial gap over the peloton. However, his moment of glory was short-lived as Vine swiftly caught up, eliminating any hope for Segaert.

Meanwhile, the red jersey group was in hot pursuit. UAE-Emirates lit the afterburners, shaking off Træen and pushing hard to streamline their position. Almeida took charge, setting a blistering pace that concluded the race with no further surprises.

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