Tom Pidcock secured his fourth victory of 2025 on Thursday, winning Stage 2 of the Vuelta a Andalucía Ruta Ciclista Del Sol. The Q36.5 rider was part of a five-man breakaway that formed with around 40km remaining. After patiently waiting for his opportunity on the climb to Torredelcampo, the 25-year-old timed his sprint perfectly, surging ahead in the final 150 meters to claim the ninth win of his career. Despite briefly appearing boxed in, he found a gap and powered to victory.
This stage marked Pidcock’s second race battling against his former Ineos Grenadiers teammates, with ex-teammate Brandon Rivera finishing second. Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates XRG) took over the general classification lead after finishing third on the day, while Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) dropped to fourth overall after finishing over a minute behind the breakaway group. Clément Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) finished fourth on the stage and moved into second place overall, while Enric Mas (Movistar) rounded out the top five.
Van Gils had won the opening stage, marking his first victory for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, while Pidcock lost 39 seconds after an aggressive but ultimately unsuccessful attack. However, he bounced back with a smarter approach on Stage 2.
Reflecting on his performance, Pidcock admitted to learning from his mistakes. “Yesterday, I wasn’t disappointed, but I rode stupid. I wasted too much energy and was a bit overconfident. Today, I stayed calm, raced smart, and it paid off.” He acknowledged that the five-stage race is unpredictable and anything can happen, but was pleased to be back in contention for the general classification.
The Ruta del Sol marks Pidcock’s first European race of the year, following his successful debut with Q36.5 at the AlUla Tour, where he won two stages and the overall title after joining from Ineos Grenadiers over the winter.
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