Brad McGee (FDJeux) collapsed at the finish line Sunday, just like he did Saturday after coming up just three seconds short of victory, but this time the Aussie had something to smile about.

McGee jetted into the Vuelta a España’s golden jersey, becoming the first Australian to wear the race leader’s jersey in all three grand tours. For the 29-year-old Aussie, the mark of distinction helps erase a season of disappointment and frustration.

“I went so deep in the prologue I was vomiting for 30 minutes after the race,” said McGee, who finished second to Leonardo Bertagnolli (Cofidis) in the 189.3km second stage from Granada to Córdoba. “I was on the ground again today, but I didn’t vomit. That’s a good sign that I went as hard as I could have.”

McGee gets the jersey

Photo: Graham Watson

McGee, 29, takes a 22-second lead to Bertagnolli. Overnight leader Denis Menchov (Rabobank) finished with the main bunch at 44 seconds back and slipped to ninth at 55 seconds back.

Thus McGee becomes the first Aussie to wear the leader’s jersey in all three grand tours. In 2003, he won the prologue in the Tour de France, and last year repeated the feat in the 2004 Giro d’Italia.

A sun-baked stage

The long, hot stage across the olive groves of Spain’s sun-baked Andalusia region was marked by a long breakaway featuring David de la Fuente (Saunier Duval), who carved a five-minute advantage with 50km to go. Temperatures soared into the high 90s as the hot summer sun beat down on the 197 starting riders.

Quick Step was driving the front to protect Rik Verbrugghe, who earned a four-second time bonus at the day’s first intermediate sprint to move into the virtual lead. McGee came to life in the day’s third sprint in the first passage through Córdoba, but Tom Boonen (Quick Step) shot across to take second behind De la Fuente to keep Verbrugghe in the virtual lead.

Boonen loads up on water

Photo: Graham Watson

That didn’t last long as De la Fuente was reeled in by the animated bunch at the base of the San Jerónimo climb, the same route that sprung David Millar to victory in 2003. There were a string of blistering attacks on the narrow, twisting climb, including early moves by Aitor Osa and Pablo Lastras of Illes Balears.

Tom Danielson (Discovery Channel) slipped away with an eight-man group early on the climb, but eventually dropped back to finish safely with the main bunch at 31st at 44 seconds back.

Bertagnolli solos away

Photo: Graham Watson

Bertagnolli shot away with about 4km to go on the climb, holding off a motivated group of chasers that included riders from Cofidis, Comunidad Valenciana, Illes Balears and Liberty Seguros.

The Italian topped over the Cat. 2 Alto de Jerónimo and the super-charged McGee bridged out on the treacherous descent with about 6km to go. The pair worked well together to hold off a hard-working five-man chase led by Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa Bortolo).

The exciting finish wasn’t sure until the final meters. McGee looked back and saw they were about to get caught and went hell for leather with 500 meters to go.

Bertagnolli grabbed his wheel and came around with about 150 meters to go capture the victory. McGee rolled through second to earn the time bonus to slip into the leader’s jersey and Flecha roared through third at the same time.

“I knew that McGee was interested in the jersey, so we collaborated well,” said Bertagnolli, a winner of a stage in the Tour de Limousine this year. “I had a lot of health problems this year, but I felt better the past few weeks, so I knew I wanted to try something in this Vuelta.”

The day’s explosive finish spelled doom for several pre-race favorites. Discovery Channel’s José Azevedo got caught in a pileup coming down the descent when two riders – Andreas Klier (T-Mobile) and Ignacio Gutierrez (Phonak) –swept too wide into a left turn and were spit off-course.

Azevedo, fifth in the 2004 Tour de France, forfeited 3:41 to drop out of contention. Others to lose time were Iban Mayo (111th at 7:27), Oscar Pereiro (114th at 7:56) and 2004 runner-up Isidro Nozal (134th at 8:50). Lastras also crashed on the descent and came through with gashes to his left knee.

Lowering the bar

McGee’s daring tactics paid off handsomely and he was more than happy to slip into the leader’s jersey.

“I wanted to win the jersey and maybe go for a stage, but I am not here to try win this Vuelta,” said McGee, who confirmed he will race the world championships in Madrid. “The course has too many mountains and the Spanish riders are very motivated to win.”

Lowering his expectations is part of the bitter pill that McGee has had to swallow following his disastrous Tour de France.

McGee has been touted as a future Tour winner since turning pro in 1998 and confirmed that by winning the 2003 opening prologue. After finishing eighth in the 2004 Giro, McGee put everything on this year’s Tour only to fall flat with a distant 105th at nearly three hours back.

“I was disappointed with my Tour,” McGee said. “After the Tour, I’ve spoken with my director, Mark Madiot, and we agreed that yes, I can ride for the GC in tours, but in one-week races like Romandie or the Dauphiné - not in the grand tours anymore. It’s better that I try to get the jersey or win stages.”

That new philosophy has already paid dividends. McGee said he would like to keep the jersey all the way to the Vuelta’s second of three time trials in stage nine.

Today'sLive Report

Results - Stage 2
1. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Cofidis, 4:52:27
2. Bradley Mcgee (Aus), Francaise des Jeux
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo
4. Francisco Javier Vila (Sp), Lampre
5. Angel Vicioso (Sp), Liberty Seguros
6. Unai Yus (Sp), Bouygues Telecom
7. Joaquin Rodriguez (Sp), Saunier Duval, all s.t.
8. Santos Gonzalez (Sp), Phonak, 0:33
9. Carlos Garcia Quesada (Sp), ECV, 0:33
10. Pablo Lastras (Sp), Illes Balears, 0:33
FullResults

Overall, after Two Stages
1. Bradley Mcgee (Aus), Francaise des Jeux, at 5:02:01
2. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Cofidis, at 0:22
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (Sp), Fassa Bortolo, at 0:31
4. Angel Vicioso (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 0:31
5. Francisco Javier Vila (Sp), Lampre, at 0:32
6. Joaquin Rodriguez (Sp), Saunier Duval, at 0:35
7. Unai Yus (Sp), Bouygues Telecom, at 0:43
8. Rik Verbrugghe (B), Quickstep, at 0:52
9. Denis Menchov (Rus), Rabobank, at 0:55
10. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, at 1:02
11. Tom Danielson (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, at 1:07
12. Roberto Heras (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 1:10
FullResults