Tom Pidcock Wins Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica by 2 Seconds Over Verona

Tom Pidcock secured victory in the second edition of the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica on Sunday, beating race organiser Carlos Verona by two seconds in a thrilling uphill finish at Coll de la Botella. Sepp Kuss, the American resident with Visma-Lease a Bike, claimed third place ahead of a select group of six riders.

The 125km route, accumulating over 3,800m of elevation gain, began at noon from Plaça del Poble in Andorra la Vella and passed through all seven parishes. Key challenges included Port d'Envalira, Coll d'Ordino and the gravel sector on Camí de Les Pardines, culminating in a 14km climb to the line. High temperatures and a fast pace intensified the demands, with road closures across the Principat lasting four hours and temporarily disrupting bus services.

An early breakaway of up to 15 riders formed, featuring EF Education-EasyPost's Jefferson Cepeada as the standout. The peloton, led by Visma-Lease a Bike and Pidcock's Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, gradually reeled it in. Lidl-Trek's Julien Bernard bridged across later, riding solo through La Massana with a 30-second lead before the favourites regrouped five kilometres from the summit.

Kuss attacked with 2.8km remaining, but Pidcock responded decisively in the final stretch, pulling clear of Verona's late surge from the Lidl-Trek squad. The mountain biker, known for past competitions in Andorra, held his advantage to the line.

The event drew five WorldTour teams—Visma-Lease a Bike, Movistar, EF Education-EasyPost, Groupama-FDJ and Lidl-Trek—alongside 11 second-division outfits including Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Cofidis and TotalEnergies. Defending champion Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek also raced, joined by riders such as Iván Sosa, Nil Gimeno and Urko Berrade of Kern Pharma, Fernando Barceló of Caja Rural, Jorgen Nordhagen, Derek Gee, Davide Piganzoli and under-23 selections from Andorra and Spain.

Jonas Vingegaard, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider and recent Giro d'Italia winner, skipped the race to train in Tignes ahead of the Tour de France starting 4 July in Barcelona. A concurrent 10km amateur time trial, Clàssica x Toteem from Erts to Coll de la Botella with 700m of climbing and gradients of 5-8%, ran alongside the professionals.

Organised by Andorra resident Verona as a climbers' tune-up for the Tour, the race continues to elevate its status, drawing on the Principat's role as a base for elite cyclists like Pidcock and Kuss.