Vuelta a España results: Matt Brennan wins the second stage of the Grand Tour debut

Britain’s Matt Brennan raced to victory in the second stage of the Vuelta a España on Sunday as overall favorite Tadej Pogacar clung to the leader’s red jersey.

Brennan, 21, riding in his first Grand Tour, jumped in the final kilometers of the 214-kilometre route from Monaco to Manosque to claim his first stage win.

It looked like Brennan’s teammate Wout van Aert and Tour de France winner Pogacar would battle it out for the win.

However, in the final kilometers Van Aert was trapped and Pogacar chose to conserve energy, giving Brennan his chance.

“We started with the ambition of Wout trying to put on the red jersey today,” said Englishman Brennan, who joined the Team Visma-Lease a Bike world tour team in 2025.

“We had that plan and I was always going to be in the background during the sprint in case that plan [didn’t work] …and that’s exactly what happened.

“I hope it’s not the last, but it’s nice.”

The Spanish Pau Miquel Delgado, from Bahrain Victorious, came second, while Pogacar, from the UAE Team Emirates, crossed the finish line in third place.

Pogacar remains atop the overall standings after winning Saturday’s opening time trial by 0.09 seconds and will take a nine-second lead over second-place Van Aert into Monday’s third stage.

Brennan moves up to third place in the overall standings, 10 seconds behind Pogacar.

Britain’s Ethan Hayter, who was beaten in the first stage time trial by Pogacar, was part of a small early breakaway and looked set to take the overall lead after winning the final intermediate sprint with a six-second bonus.

However, the 27-year-old fell behind and crossed the finish line 31 seconds behind the leader, leaving him 13th overall.

After finishing third in the opening stage just eight days after his brother Finlay lost his life in an accident, Britain’s Josh Tarling came in 125th.

Monday takes runners into the French Pyrenees with a mountain finish in Font Romeu, near the Spanish border.

Results of the second stage of the Vuelta a España

James Brennan (GB/Team Visma-Lease a Bike) 4 hours, 47 minutes 47 seconds

Pau Miquel Delgado (Esp/Bahrain Victorious) at the same time

Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the same time

Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek) at the same time

Hugo Hofstetter (Fra/NSN cycling team) at the same time

Tobias Johannessen (Nor/Uno-X Mobility) at the same time

Finn Fisher-Black (NZ/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) at the same time

Axel Laurance (Fra/Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team) at the same time

Oscar Onlyy (GB/Netcompany Ineos Cycling Team) at the same time

Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven/Movistar Team) same time

General classification of the Vuelta a España after the second stage

Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4 hours 58 minutes 40 seconds

Wout van Aert (Bel/Team Visma-Bike Leasing) +9 seconds

James Brennan (GB/Team Visma-Bike Leasing) +10 seconds

Leo Bisiaux (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +12 seconds

Finn Fisher-Black (NZ/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +14 seconds

Stefan Kung (Sui/Tudor pro cycling team) +18 seconds

Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) at the same time

Mads Pedersen (Den/Lidl-Trek) +20 seconds

Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe +26sec.)

Jordan Labrosse (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +27 seconds