Another sprint finish concluded the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico on Tuesday after 200 kilometers of racing. As on the previous day, the German rider Pascal Ackermann took the win, but unlike the previous day, the Groupama-FDJ cycling team did not get involved in the final sprint. Jussi Veikkanen and Sébastien Joly’s riders are more focused on the hilly third stage to Saturnia on Wednesday.
After a little warm-up yesterday along the seaside in Camaiore, the Tirreno-Adriatico riders had a slightly more substantial menu on Tuesday with a second stage of 201 kilometers. However, with only one difficulty listed on today’s route, another sprint finish was very likely to happen in Follonica. This did not prevent the usual breakaway from going straight from the start. “It was a very calm day, even more than yesterday,” Jussi Veikkanen said later. “A breakaway started at kilometer 0. There were five at first, then four and just three in the final. Bora-hansgrohe controlled the race all day and UAE Team Emirates came to help every now and then. Nothing in particular happened until the final circuit, and then we knew it would be a massive sprint.”
“We are already focused on tomorrow”, Jussi Veikkanen
An Italian triplet including Nicola Bagioli (Androni-Sidermec), Umberto Orsini (Bardiani-CSF) and Edoardo Zardini (Vini Zabù-KTM) resisted to the bunch until the last fifteen kilometers, shortly after entering the final circuit. “Knowing that we were passing a first time on the line, the guys were totally free to go if the opportunity arose, but it didn’t,” Jussi explained. “There was a climb with twelve kilometers to go, but it was not very difficult and they completed it very quickly. There was nothing we could try. Starting the stage, we wanted to do something with the guys, but it was obviously not a finish or a day for us”.
Almost all of the team’s riders finished within the winner’s time, and Romain Seigle was the first to cross the line, in twenty-eighth position. Pretty quiet today, Jussi Veikkanen and Sébastien Joly’s riders should have more opportunities on Wednesday, in a hilly final in Saturnia. “We are already focused on tomorrow,” said Jussi a few minutes after the stage finish. “The group is in good shape and on tomorrow’s course, the legs will precisely do the talk. In any case, it is a stage that will certainly suit our riders more than those of the last two days”.
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