Ruta del Sol 2023: Pogacar cements GC lead on steep cobbled climb

foto: Cor VosTadej Pogacar attacks from the lead group on the steep cobbled climb in Alcalá La Real. Enric Mas follows him, but when the Slovenian kicks again, and again, he rides to victory. Pogacar wins his second consecutive stage to extend his lead on GC to 48 seconds ahead of Santiago Buitrago. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2nd stage 2023 Ruta del Sol

1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. Enric Mas (spa) + 0.04
3. Santiago Buitrago (col) s.t.
4. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
5. Carlos Rodriguez (spa) s.t.
6. Lorenzo Rota (ita) + 0.17
7. Dylan Teuns (bel) + 0.21
8. Tao Geoghegan Hart (gbr) + 0.24
9. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 0.33
10. Rafal Majka (pol) + 0.46

GC after stage 2
1. Tadej Pogacar (slo)
2. Santiago Buitrago (col) + 0.48
3. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.52
4. Carlos Rodriguez (spa) s.t.
5. Enric Mas (spa) + 1.47
6. Tao Geoghegan Hart (gbr) + 2.12
7. Damiano Caruso (ita) + 2.22
8. Rafal Majka (pol) + 2.51
9. Pavel Sivakov (fra) + 2.52
10. Jack Haig (aus) s.t.

Race report
Twelve riders attack virtually from the gun. Matej Mohoric, Joe Dombrowski, Iván García, Nelson Oliveira, Alessandro Covi, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Julen Amezqueta, Davide Bais, Frederik Frison, Luis Angel Maté, Aaron Van Poucke and Alex Colman open up a 1 minute gap. That’s all they get, since Ineos Grenadiers is not happy with this break. The peloton is regrouped after one hour of frantic action.

Attacks keep flying untill Mohoric goes again, this time with Antoni Nibali, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Alex Laurance, Lorenzo Rota, George Zimmermann, Mattia Bais, Dylan Teuns and Alan Jousseaume. The gap widens to 2 minutes before its comes down in the last KOM climb.

Landa makes a move in the GC group, while Pogacar follows him like a shadow. That is, for some time, as he goes alone after following in the wheels for awhile.

Pogacar rejoins Teuns, Rota, Zimmermann and Mohoric before the summit, while Mas, Landa, Rodriguez and Buitrago make it across a little later.

Rota first and then zimmermann try to jump clear on the climb to the line. Pogacar closes it down and waits for the brutal gradients in the last kilometre. The 400 metres before the line are cobbled as well. The yellow jersey distances his rivals, although Mas does not surrender right away. But when Pogacar kicks again, and again, and again, he is clear and wins the race 4 seconds ahead of his Mas, Buitrago, Landa, and Rodriguez.

Another interesting read: route 2nd stage 2023 Ruta del Sol.