The second stage took the riders over 185.5 km from Sassari to Oristano. The route featured constant ups and downs and several small hills, but ultimately this did not prevent the sprinters from fighting it out for the victory in a fast finale. An early small group was able to break away from the field, yet their efforts were unsuccessful and with 70 km to go, it was all over for the quintet. A little later, the race exploded, yet thanks to strong teamwork, BORA – hansgrohe managed to make sure that Pascal Ackermann made it into the first group, and he was ultimately able to prove himself the fastest to take the win.
01 P. Ackermann
02 B. Peák
03 S. Vanmarcke
From the finish line
“It was a strong performance by the team today. We did everything we could to control the race and have the stage be decided in a sprint at the end. My timing was good and I sprinted at the right moment to ultimately take the win. This result shows that my form is good and I’m fully motivated for the rest of the race here.” – Pascal Ackermann
“That was a pretty tough stage today. The last climb was a first category ascent, 11.5km long with an average gradient of 6 percent. With 60 km remaining, the race exploded and the guys worked hard to make sure Pascal was in the first reduced group. Thanks to this strong combined effort, we ultimately succeeded in the sprint, where he proved to be the fastest, a great result for him and the whole team.” – Jean-Pierre Heynderickx
