With his second win in just three days,the 26-year-old Queenslander,who won his pro contract by triumphing in an online Zwift e-cycling competition in 2020,was left shaking his head in disbelief before he crossed the line on the Collau Fancuaya.
“It’s incredible. I’ve just got so much confidence after that first win,like I’ve got that monkey off my back,” he said,after also riding into the King of the Mountain jersey as the race’s top climber.
Once again,just as on the ascent of Pico Jano on Thursday whenhe won his maiden professional race,Vine roared away from the field on the final climb of a demanding 153.4-kilometre stage from La Pola Llaviana to win by 43 seconds from Spain’s Marc Soler.
Behind him on this Asturias mountain stage was a parade of some of the world’s best climbers,including Belgium’s overall race leader Remco Evenepoel,who finished fifth,one minute 20 seconds behind the Australia.
And by the end,Vine seemed to feel right at home in his new-found celebrity as the man who’s made the transformation from e-racing to real racing seem so implausibly easy.
“It just felt so much more natural riding in the group today,and all the pressure was off me,” he shrugged.