Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2 is a 181.4 km flat stage from Pamplona to Viana. There’s an easy gradient at the last kilometer of the stage.
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Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2 quick info
- DATE: August 19, Sunday
- STAGE TYPE: Plain
- START-FINISH: Pamplona (435 m) > Viana (440 m)
- STAGE DISTANCE: 181.4 km
Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2 Profile
Last 5 kilometers
Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2 start city: Pamplona
Pamplona or Iruña (Basque: [iɾuɲa]) is the historical capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former Kingdom of Navarre.
Pamplona is located in the middle of Navarre. It is 92 kilometers from the city of San Sebastián, 117 kilometers from Bilbao, 735 kilometers from Paris, and 407 kilometers from Madrid.
The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival (from July 6 to 14) in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions. This festival was brought to literary renown with the 1926 publication of Ernest Hemingway‘s novel, The Sun Also Rises.
Pamplona is also a beautiful green city and ranks the highest in environment and recycling cities in Spain and Europe.
How to go to Pamplona?
By Air
Pamplona has a small airport connected with several cities. Iberia fly several times a day from Madrid and Barcelona; TAP from Lisbon. There are some international airports nearby like Bilbao (156 km), Zaragoza (170 km), or Biarritz, France (115 km). There are also several flights from the UK, Ireland, and Germany.
By Train
There are daily trains between Pamplona and Madrid, Barcelona, Vitoria, Galicia, and Asturias. Urban busses links train station and downtown.
By car
Driving to Pamplona from Madrid 4 hours, Barcelona 4 hours, Biarritz 1.5 hours, Bilbao 1.5 hours. Underground parking is widely available.
By bus
Taking on a bus is the cheapest way to go to Pamplona. Several daily bus services from Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Vitoria, Zaragoza, and other cities.
Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2 finish town: Viana
Viana is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain. Italian politician and condottiero (mercenary leader) whose fight for power was a major inspiration for The Prince by Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia (13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) is buried there.
The town’s location is near the Spanish border and it was the reason for its founding in 1219, as the Navarra King Sancho VII the Strong used it for defensive purposes. Prehistoric traces dating over 4500 years old exist.
Viana was the head of the Principality of the Old Kingdom of Navarra, a title currently held by the crown prince, D. Felipe de Borbón. Inside the Church of Santa María vestibule are the remains of César Borgia, who died in Viana in 1507.
Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2: John Degenkolb sprints to win
John Degenkolb of Argos-Shimano won the second stage of the Vuelta a España. German rider took the mass sprint in Pamplona. Allan Davis of Orica-GreenEdge took second while Ben Swift of Team Sky being third. Movistar team’s German rider Jonathan Castroviejo easily defended his overall lead.
It is Degenkolb’s first grand tour stage win.
There was a long breakaway in the 184 km stage. The escapees were Mikhail Ignatiev of Katusha, Javier Chacon of Andalucía Caja Granada and Javier Aramendia of Caja Rural. After peloton covered just six kilometres, they escaped in the company of Niki Terpstra of Omega Pharma-Quick Step. With the time bonuses available on the course, general classification leader Jonathan Castroviejo’s Movistar team didn’t allow such a dangerous rider to get away , so the Dutch national champion dropped back and allowed the other three escapees to go themselves.
Before Movistar began to steadily pull them back, the three-man breakaway group managed to open a maximum lead of five minutes . Chacon was dropped with 25km to go, and the other two were finally caught by the Peloton inside the final twelve kilometres.
Sergey Lagutin of Vacansoleil-DCM tried a late attack, and ith five kilometers to go, the Belarusian champion managed to get 11 seconds clear ahead of the peloton, but he caught by Orica-GreenEdge shortly after the four-kilometer banner. There then followed a battle for a good position between the sprinters’ teams. Degenkolb won the mass sprint and took the stage 2 victory of this years’ Vuelta a España.
With none of his overall rivals able to take any time bonuses and finishing safely in the peloton, ahead of four of his Movistar teammates who occupied the same time, Castroviejo held on to his overall lead.
Enrico Gasparotto of Astana Team did not finish the stage and became the first rider dropping out of the Vuelta.
Vuelta a España 2012 Stage 2 results
- John Degenkolb Germany Argos-Shimano 4:38:40
- Allan Davis Australia Orica-GreenEdge
- Ben Swift Great Britain Sky Procycling
General classification after stage 2
- Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas Spain Movistar Team 4:57:31
Sources
- La Vuelta official website
- Pamplona on Wikipedia
- Viana, Spain on Wikipedia
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