VaE: Chris Sutton Surprises the Bunch to take Stage 2

Chris Sutton caused an upset in the second stage of the Vuelta a Espana, as he beat the favourites, in the sprint to the line.

Sutton’s victory made it two for sky in one day, with Edvald Boasson Hagen taking the sprint in the Vettenfall Cyclassics. The small increase in the gradient, going in to Playas de Orihuela, caught a few people off guard, but Sutton had the legs on the bunch. The Aussie jumped on to the back wheel of Vicente Reynes, before leaping out of the group for his first solo Grand Tour victory.

Reynes was close behind, while the Tour of Poland star, Marcel Kittel could only manage third. Kittle tried his hardest to get around the sky rider, but to no avail, and will have to wait until stage three’s road to Totana, for his chance to shine. The victory makes Sutton the first rider to wear the green jersey, in this year’s tour.

Despite finishing with the same time, Daniele Bennati moves in to the red jersey and replaces Jakob Fuglsang. Bennati’s finishing position of 6^th, compared with Fuglsang’s 19^th, is what earned him the honour. Maxime Monfort and Thomas Rohregger are also on the same time, while, last year’s winner, Vincenzo Nibali sits in 6^th, four seconds off the lead.

Stage two was billed as a flat stage and many would have been forgiven for thinking a Mark Cavendish or Tyler Farrar would have taken it easily. However, it was little kick, within the final kilometre, that finished them off. Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara could be seen having a go, but neither could get clear. Lars Boom also made an attack and gained about 20 bike lengths on the group, but he was soon swallowed up.

The high temperatures didn’t stop four riders having a go, after only two kilometres of racing, and building up a maximum lead of six minutes. Adam Hansen of Omega Pharma-Lotto was the last of the lead group to be caught, with 13km to go, as the bunch began to jostle for position. Several riders began to drop off the back, as the pace began to increase. Matt Goss was one of those and he became the first, and only, rider to withdraw from this year’s event.