Tom Pidcock is not one to hide his ambitions and, after taking an unexpected ninth place in the opening stage of the Vuelta a España, he is aiming to be a protagonist again in Sunday's stage on a completely different terrain.

The second stage of the Vuelta features the first of 11 summit finishes, with the final category-two climb to Limone Piemonte. On a day with no categorized climbs before the final climb, good positioning, a fast start on the climb, and optimal condition will be crucial to aspiring to victory. The leader of Q36.5 appears to possess all of these qualities.

His recent stage win at the Tour of Norway with a summit finish and a top-10 finish in Novara are clear signs of his excellent form. As Pidcock himself confirmed before Saturday's start, the Limone Piemonte finale, with three kilometers of steady climbing followed by a steeper section, seems tailor-made for him.

'I had a good summer, good races, in Norway obviously it went very well, so we'll see'

Even though he doesn't know the final climb firsthand, he will be able to count on the team's full support to be well positioned at the decisive moment.

His coach Kurt Bogaerts confirmed that Pidcock is also aiming for a place in the general classification, but the priority remains a stage win. A victory in Limone Piemonte could serve both purposes, potentially leading to the red leader's jersey.

Before tackling the mountains of Andorra, the team will have to pass the test of the 24km team time trial in Figueres on stage five. This will be Pidcock's first team time trial as a professional, and despite their limited preparation compared to the more well-equipped World Tour teams, Q36.5 will give it their all.

But now all attention is turned to Limone Piemonte, where Pidcock hopes to shine and make this Vuelta a success.