Quintana wins Vuelta second stage as Roche takes race lead

Former winner Nairo Quintana continued the Colombian streak in Grand Tours when he won the first long individual stage of the Vuelta a Espana in Calpe on Sunday.

The Movistar rider escaped a star-studded six-man breakaway group in the last three kilometres to clinch victory.

"It's special, I've never won like this before. This is a first," Quintana, who won the race in 2016, told the TV cameras immediately after the finish.

"I needed it and so did the team. We worked in good harmony and did a good job."

Quintana was chased across the line by Irishman Nicolas Roche who took the overall lead after two days of racing.

The Irishman also wore the red jersey of the Vuelta leader for one day in 2013.

"I am delighted, I have no words," said Roche.

He added that he wanted to keep the leader's jersey "as long as possible".

"But the last time I said that, it only lasted one day. I hope that this time I can have it a little longer," he said.

After opening with a short team time trial on Saturday, the Vuelta took to the hills with a 199.6km run inland from Benidorm to Calpe that included several sharp climbs.

Even with Tour de France winner Egan Bernal skipping the race, there is still a powerful Colombian contingent in the final three-week race of the season.

Quintana and Rigoberto Uran of Education First were part of a powerful group that escaped on the final climb, 25 kilometres out.

Quintana accelerated clear on a small climb with three kilometres left.

As the other five riders hesitated, he built enough of a lead to survive when a couple finally gave chase. He crossed the line five seconds ahead of Roche of Sunweb.

Roche took the overall lead by two seconds from Quintana.

Slovenian Primoz Roglic, trying to regain time after his Jumbo-Visma team's mass crash on the first stage, was third.

The main pack, including Miguel Angel Lopez, the Colombian who started the day in the overall lead, finished 37 seconds behind.

STAGE 2 RESULTS

1. Nairo Quintana (COL) Movistar Team 5:11:17
2. Nicolas Roche (IRL) Team Sunweb +5
3. Primož Roglic (SLO) Team Jumbo - Visma "
4. Rigoberto Urán (COL) EF Education First "
5. Fabio Aru (ITA) UAE Team Emirates "
6. Mikel Nieve (ESP) Mitchelton - Scott +8
7. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education First +37
8. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates "
9. Alex Aranburu (ESP) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA "
10. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team "
11. Pierre Latour (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale "
12. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb "
13. Esteban Chaves (COL) Mitchelton - Scott "
14. George Bennett (NZL) Team Jumbo - Visma "
15. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana Pro Team "
16. Felix Großschartner (AUT) BORA - hansgrohe "
17. Víctor de la Parte (ESP) CCC Team "
18. Rafal Majka (POL) BORA - hansgrohe "
19. Jesús Herrada (ESP) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits "
20. Zdenek Ntybar (CZE) Deceuninck - Quick-Step +1:36

OVERALL LEADERS

1. Nicolas Roche (IRL) Team Sunweb 5:26:12
2. Nairo Quintana (COL) Movistar Team +2
3. Rigoberto Urán (COL) EF Education First +8
4. Mikel Nieve (ESP) Mitchelton - Scott +22
5. Miguel Ángel López (COL) Astana Pro Team +33
6. Primož Roglic (SLO) Team Jumbo - Visma +36
7. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb +38
8. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education First +40
9. Felix Großschartner (AUT) BORA - hansgrohe +46
10. Rafal Majka (POL) BORA - hansgrohe "
11. Víctor de la Parte (ESP) CCC Team +48
12. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Movistar Team +49
13. Esteban Chaves (COL) Mitchelton - Scott +51
14. Fabio Aru (ITA) UAE Team Emirates +1:08
15. Alex Aranburu (ESP) Caja Rural - Seguros RGA +1:10
16. Pierre Latour (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale "
17. George Bennett (NZL) Team Jumbo - Visma +1:13
18. Jesús Herrada (ESP) Cofidis, Solutions Crédits +1:16
19. Zdenek Ntybar (CZE) Deceuninck - Quick-Step +1:32
20. Luis León Sánchez (ESP) Astana Pro Team +1:39