Matteo Trentin won after what he described as “probably the longest final kilometre ever” in stage two of the Vuelta a Andalucia on Thursday, claiming his second victory of the season and the ninth of 2019 for Mitchelton-Scott. Trentin narrowly but convincingly beat Danny Van Poppel (Jumbo-Visma) in a seemingly interminable slow-motion sprint in the town of Torredonjimeno in eastern Andalucia. Bahrain-Merida’s Ivan Cortina tried to spring a surprise late attack in a finish, where timing and energy levels counted for as much as technical ability and sprinting strength, and the Spaniard came within just a few metres of taking the win. He was swamped by the others sprinters at the line and although Van Poppel put in a powerful late surge for second, it was Trentin had the edge and who clinched the victory.ADVERTISEMENT "It was really hard, probably the longest final kilometre ever,” the reigning European Road-Race champion said afterwards. “It was chaotic because everyone wanted to sit on the front but of course after quite an easy stage today, everybody had the legs to be there. I got boxed in quite a lot on the last corner and Cortina got the jump. I saw he was pretty far away dragging uphill and I timed my sprint the best I could and it was just perfect.” A long day in the saddle Trentin’s move came at the end of a six hour, 216 kilometre trek eastwards through the rolling hills of central Andalucia, with little major race action in the first three quarters of the stage to break up the monotony of the never-ending lines of olive trees on each side of the road.
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