🚴🇸🇮 | Een valpartij in de laatste kilometer en een nipte finish in deze tweede etappe van de Ronde van Slovenië. Uiteindelijk blijkt Phil Bauhaus de rit te hebben gepakt! #TourOfSlovenia 📺 Koers kijk je op HBO Max
Like a rocket to the finish! Grueling Slovenian stage claimed by Bauhaus, Groenewegen dropped early on
CyclingThursday, 13 June 2024 at 08:54
Phil Bauhaus won the second stage of the Tour of Slovenia. The Bahrain Victorious sprinter was the best in the bunchsprint from a reduced peloton in Rogaska Slatina. Halfway through the stage, Dylan Groenewegen had to abandon his ambitions for another stage win as he couldn't keep up in the fast and fiercely contested stage. Bauhaus also took over as the new leader of the tour.
The second stage was a notch tougher than the first on Wednesday, which Dylan Groenewegen won following a classic bunch sprint. Today's course featured one serious obstacle, the Celjska Koca, a climb of just over seven kilometers at a 6% gradient. This climb was a potential threat to the sprinters aiming for victory, though the rest of the stage was rather rolling. So the question was how the second category climb would affect the morale of the sprinters.
Breakaway without big names quickly reeled in, Groenewegen succumbs to grueling course
An adventurous group of six riders decided to break away early in the stage. Among them was Tomas Kalojiros of Pierre Baguette Cycling, donned in the mountain jersey, seeking to gather more points. He was accompanied by Nicolas Gojkovic and Marcel Skok of Adria Mobil, Dylan Hopkins of Ljubljana Gusto Santic, Mario Gamper of Santi-Wibatech, and Davide Baldaccini of Corratec-Vini Fantini. They cycled together a lead of more than four minutes and provided the entertainment in the first hours of the race.
However, the points at the top were snagged by Baldaccini, who will wear the mountain jersey in the next stage. Soon after, the breakaway group was absorbed back into the fast-approaching peloton, setting the stage for new dynamics. This led to the formation of another breakaway group featuring notable riders such as Mikkel Honoré of EF Education-EasyPost and Connor Swift of INEOS Grenadiers, joined by Martin Marcellusi of Bardiani and Miquel Pau of Kern Pharma. Although their lead was modest, with just 45 kilometers left to the finish, Groenewegen found himself struggling and eventually lagging behind due to the grueling course.
Swift and Honoré stay ahead of exhausted peloton for long time, sprint prize for Bauhaus
Groenewegen couldn't make a comeback, and the peloton was always close to the breakaways. The pace was relentless both up front and in the main group. Marcellusi suffered a puncture and subsequently veered off onto a side trail, while Pau simply couldn't keep up. Meanwhile, Vegard Stake Laengen tried his luck from the bunch, stirring up the race further. In the end, Alberto Dainese, Phil Bauhaus, and Alexander Kristoff were left as sprinters.
Swift and Honoré continued diligently towards the finish, but in the final local lap, they were in sight of the stretched-out peloton. Honoré dropped Swift and went solo, but he was fighting a losing battle. The stage had clearly been tough; who would be freshest in the final kilometer? With two kilometers to go, the Dane was done for. Bahrain Victorious took over for Bauhaus. Matej Mohoric neutralized a move by Ben Healy. In the sprint, a large group crashed, and in the final straight, the German Dainese was overtaken: Bauhaus won, the Italian was second. Luka Mezgec sprinted to third place in the absence of his team leader Groenewegen. Bauhaus also took the overall lead in the Tour of Slovenia.
Results of second stage of Tour of Slovenia
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024