Vuelta a Espana 2023 | Stage 2 | Sunday, 27 August | Mataro - Barcelona | 181.8 kilometres
Before the riders head into the Pyrenees, there is a hilly stage in the Tour of Spain. It is 181.8 kilometres long and leads the peloton from Mataro back to Barcelona, where the Tour opened the day before.
After the start and shortly before the finish of the stage, there is a 3rd category mountain classification, and after 66.3 kilometres, the Coll d'Estenalles awaits the riders at an altitude of 870 metres - a 2nd category climb. There is also a sprint classification 18.8 kilometres before the finish at the gates of Barcelona.
The finale includes the 3rd category climb up to the Castell de Montjuic 3.3 kilometres before the finish. The riders then head downhill again before another slight climb shortly before the finish. The pure sprinters are therefore likely to have little chance of winning the stage due to the last few complicated kilometres; a sprint from a reduced peloton or the victory of a puncheur who breaks away with an attack on Montjuic seems more likely due to the last few kilometres.
Sporting assessment of the 2nd stage
There will probably be the first attacks by potential breakaway riders on the first climb and a breakaway group will form as the race progresses, which will have justified hopes of winning the stage. Although the sprinters' teams are likely to control the race and the breakaway group's distance on this slightly hilly stage, it will only become clear on the final climb whether it will end in a sprint or whether individual riders will be able to break away. Due to the undulating final kilometres, a possible stage win will be hard work for the sprinters.
Schedule, TV coverage & live stream of stage 2 of the Vuelta a Espana 2023
The peloton will set off at 12:45 pm, with the sharp start at around 1:11 pm in Mataro, which is the starting point of a Vuelta stage for the first time. The calculated finish in Barcelona should be between 17:18 and 17:43 at an average speed of around 42 km/h.
Eurosport will broadcast all stages of the Vuelta a Espana 2023. Stage 2 will be shown free-to-air on Eurosport 1 from 14:30. Including post-stage coverage, the broadcast will run until 18:00. The paid providers GCN+ and Discovery+ will also be showing a live stream on the internet.
Vuelta a Espana 2023 - Stage 2: The most important information at a glance
- Hilly stage over 181.8 kilometres
- Start of the stage: 12:45 pm
- Calculated end of the race: approx. 17:30
- TV broadcast: 14:30 - 18:00 Eurosport 1
