Fantastic one-two for Bahrain-Victorious in Valencia: Buitrago wins ahead of Bilbao, Vacek clings to leader’s jersey
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleSantiago Buitrago won the second stage of the Tour of Valencia. The Colombian of Bahrain-Victorious was the strongest after a tough final climb, where he relegated teammate Bilbao to second place. João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) finished third. Leader Mathias Vacek ( Lidl-Trek) held his own and kept
the yellow jersey by a few seconds.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Tour of Valencia steamed ahead at a brisk pace on stage two. After a team time trial on Wednesday, the riders faced a challenging mountain stage on Thursday. The 166-kilometer stage between La Nuciá and Benifato began quietly but ended in fireworks.
The second part of the hilly course consisted of a lot of climbing. First was the famous Coll de Rates, the most cycled mountain in the winter. Then they descended, and after a small break, the riders began another second-category climb. On top of the Benimantell (5.5km, 7%) was a sprint for bonus seconds. After that, the finish was on top of Benifato. This climb is 4.3 kilometers long at a whopping 9.5%: it is guaranteed to become a great battle!
After a few kilometers, five riders broke away from the peloton: Spaniards Pau Llaneras (Illes Balears Arabay), Sinuhé Fernández (Burgos Burpellet BH), Chilean Vicente Rojas (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Italian Samuele Zoccarato (Team Polti VisitMalta) and Frenchman Quentin Bezza (Wagner Bazin WB). However, the rider from Illes Balears Arabay soon had to drop out. On top of that, new attacks came from behind. Matyáš Kopecký (Team Novo Nordisk) and Cade Bickmore (Project Echelon Racing) managed to catch up, but also, for the Project Echelon Racing rider, the adventure was short-lived.
Read more below the video!
Leading group caught, Foss with first attack
At this stage, we had a breakaway of four. In the peloton, Lidl-Trek obviously did most of the work; they gave the breakaway a good four-minute lead. At the foot of the Coll de Rates, the stage finale began. The leading group started with a 3:45 advantage. When the peloton started to attack, there was some nervousness. This led to a crash, with some riders going to the ground.
On the famous climb, UAE Team Emirates XRG attacked. The breakaway riders' advantage disappeared quickly. At the top, there was only a minute and a half left. Moreover, there were only two leaders left: Sinuhé Fernández and Matyáš Kopecký. The latter took the points. Their adventure was over 24 kilometers from the finish, so it was up to the climbers in the mountainous final stage. Tobias Foss (INEOS Grenadiers) was the first to venture out, starting his adventure on his own.
Read more below the photo!
Vacek against the rest on final climb
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious) and Iván Romeo (Movistar), the World U23 time trial champion, eventually joined the Norwegian. Vacek mainly had to set the pace himself in the background. Foss could not keep up with the pace at the front, while UAE Team Emirates-XRG was behind on the final climb. The two at the front had a nice advantage on the favorite group, which remained at 15 men.
In the last kilometers, João Almeida did what João Almeida does so well: he took the lead and set a scorching pace. Bilbao's lead dwindled, and he left Romeo behind. The pace of the Portuguese rider behind them was furious: only Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Movistar) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) could keep up. Leader Vacek struggled on the steep sections and lost time. However, Almeida didn't get any closer to the tough Bilbao, so Buitrago attacked. He joined his teammate at lightning speed, took the lead, and secured the victory.
Results stage 2 Tour of Valencia
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Cyclocross legend Lars van der Haar had a tough time after retiring from cyclocross: 'It was over pretty quickly'
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Latest Cycling News
Michael Vanthourenhout's severe crash overshadows thrilling men's cyclocross race in merksplas
Thibau Nys offers glimpse into unbelievable cyclocross comeback: 'That uncertainty, that struggle with self-confidence'
Complications surround Wout van Aert's World Cyclocross Championship start
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Popular Cycling News
Pidcock's turbocharged vacation leads to struggles on the bike: 'No wonder people think cycling is hard'
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Extensive evidence of use of N-word, homophobia, and Asian-hate by track cyclist Matthew Richardson revealed
Michael Vanthourenhout's severe crash overshadows thrilling men's cyclocross race in merksplas
Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026
