Ethan Vernon takes second on Vuelta a España debut in Novara

# Ethan Vernon Shines on Vuelta a España Debut with Second Place Finish in Novara

Ethan Vernon had an impressive debut in the Vuelta a España, narrowly missing victory in Saturday’s opening stage in Novara, Italy. The British rider secured a commendable second place, just behind 14-time Grand Tour stage winner Jasper Philipsen.

“I wanted to win, but in the end, second is not bad, and it gives us confidence for the rest of the race,” Vernon expressed following the stage. The 25-year-old rider previously achieved his best Grand Tour stage result at last year’s Giro d’Italia, where he finished seventh on stage 3, coincidentally, starting in Novara.

Supported by his Israel-Premier Tech teammates, who were proactive throughout the race, Vernon started the sprint but ultimately couldn’t outrun Philipsen. Reflecting on the race dynamics, he remarked, “We were at the front and then we were at the back and then we were at the front again, so in the end, we took it up, which we weren’t planning to do. I had Jasper’s wheel. He was super fast. I tried to jump him by taking the sprint up myself, but his lead-out man took me a bit wide.”

Despite falling short of the win, Vernon remains optimistic: “I wasn’t a million miles away, and we’ve got four more opportunities. Anything can happen on a different day. So I’m pretty confident we can go one further this race.”

Sports Director Daryl Impey commended Vernon and his teammates for their performance. “I think we are right where we wanted to be. Obviously, we are sprinting against some top-quality guys, but we were really close today.” He added, “Ethan taking the sprint up with 200 metres to go shows that he’s got confidence in himself to go for the win, too, which is exciting to see.”

As the Vuelta a España progresses, all eyes will be on Vernon, anticipating his next opportunity to capture a coveted stage victory.