Asturias: Italian rider Filippo Baroncini secured a second-place finish on stage 3 of the Vuelta Asturias, with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG cyclist improving steadily with every race day.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Vuelta Asturias marks only Baroncini's second stage race since his return from injury last month. His recovery follows a severe crash during last year's Tour de Pologne, which resulted in significant injuries. Over six months later, Baroncini is regaining his competitive form, and a victory seems increasingly within reach for the 25-year-old rider.
Baroncini showcased his sprinting ability by leading the peloton to the finish line on stage 3, where the day's win was claimed by Edgar David Cadena of Team Storck-MRW Bau. The Mexican rider maintained his lead from a breakaway to secure the victory in the Asturias region.
Baroncini demonstrated resilience during the challenging climbs, finishing alongside his teammate Adri Pericas in a reduced group, just 26 seconds behind Cadena. This performance positions Pericas in second place overall, trailing race leader Nairo Quintana of Movistar by 31 seconds ahead of Sunday's final stage.
Reflecting on the race, Baroncini commented, "For sure it was not an easy race, especially for me. There was a long, hard climb, and 3,200 meters of elevation today. In the past days, I had a really good feeling, and this gave me confidence, so I was already happy with that, because you see the race I had until now, this is exactly what I was looking for."
Baroncini further praised his team, stating, "Today, the plan was to go all in for the victory, because if I could pass all the climbs then the finish was perfect for me. The team was perfect, they made a super good job to control from the second part of the race."