Stage 2: TAVAGNASCO / QUASSOLO
Surrounded by the enthusiasm of the fans the second inline stage started from Tavagnasco and ended in Quassolo. The pace of the pack is very high from the very beginning of the stage then after 10 km the first KOM is won by Kevin Colleoni (Biesse Carrera Gavardo): it represents a sort of ideal launch for the breakaway of the day. So on the uphill gradient of Perloz and soon after the top of the KOM a small group of 11 attackers composed by Donovan (Team Wiggins), from the Frenchmen Rochas and Boileau (Haute Savoie Auvergne Rhone Alpes), from Mugisha the rider from Rwanda (Dimension Data for Qhubeka), from the Belgian Huys (Lotto Soudal) and from the Italians Bais (Cycling Team Friuli) and Colleoni and from the quartet of Petroli Firenze Hopplà Cacciotti, Dotti, Colonna and Fortunato.
The fugitives, after some single attempts, face together the Sprint Catch of Settimo Vittone (won by Dotti), the climb of Andrate (with the KOM won by Mugisha), the sprint catch of Strambino (won, once again by Botti) and the flat stint which brings the contenders to the beginning of the climb towards Castelnuovo Nigra. From here, from the very beginning, they start to fight and the first one who drops out is Colleoni, early attacker. At the top of this KOM the first rider is Mugisha, ahead of Dotti, Cacciotti and Rochas. Along the descent the head of the race becomes a group composed by 7 riders, among those there are also Mazzucco (Trevigiani Phonix) and De Bod (Dimension Data for Qhubeka). The first passage on the finish line of Quassolo, right before the beginning of the climb of Sorey, see the leading group with an advantage of 1’:20” on the yellow jersey, group led by Colpack. The steep climb of Sorey give the chance to Donovan who gets the KOM ahead of De Bod and Mazzucco. The peloton, on the back, comes longer and longer, but for sure managed by the leader’s jersey, Matteo Bellia (IAM Excelsior). On the difficult descent towards Quassolo nothing changes, this way Donovan, despite the debacle of yesterday, can get his deserved victory. Behind him Mazzucco and Pronskiy (Astana City), who incredibly closed on the first riders on the last climb.
At the end of this thrilling stage all the owners of the jerseys are confirmed: Bellia is the yellow jersey, Cacciotti has the Polka dot jersey, Inkelaar wears the white one and Dotti the red one.
Stage ClassificationKm. 148,600 - average 34,422 km/h | Overall ClassificationKm. 315,300 - average 33,141 km/h | |||||||
| 1. | DONOVAN Mark TEAM WIGGINS | 04:19:01" | 1. | BELLIA Matteo IAM EXCELSIOR | 09:30:50" | |||
| 2. | MAZZUCCO Fabio TREVIGIANI PHONIX HEMUS 1896 | a | 38" | 2. | INKELAAR Kevin POLARTEC KOMETA TEAM | a | 30" | |
| 3. | PRONSKIY Vadim ASTANA CITY | a | 42" | 3. | GREGAARD WILSLY Jonas DENMARK NATIONAL TEAM | a | 01'21" | |
| 4. | DE BOD Stefan DIMENSION DATA FOR QHUBEKA CON | a | 42" | 4. | LEKNESSUND Andreas NORWAY NATIONAL TEAM | a | 01'33" | |
| 5. | BAIS Mattia CYCLING TEAM FRIULI | a | 01'17" | 5. | PRONSKIY Vadim ASTANA CITY | a | 01'35" | |
| 6. | FORTUNATO Lorenzo PETROLI FIRENZE MASERATI HOPPL | a | 01'21" | 6. | LÓPEZ PEREZ Juan Pedro POLARTEC KOMETA TEAM | a | 02'02" | |
| 7. | LEKNESSUND Andreas NORWAY NATIONAL TEAM | a | 01'52" | 7. | MONACO Alessandro Teodoro PETROLI FIRENZE MASERATI HOPPL | a | 02'08" | |
| 8. | GIURIATO Alberto CYCLING TEAM FRIULI | a | 01'52" | 8. | ABDERRAHIM Zahiri TREVIGIANI PHONIX HEMUS 1896 | a | 02'11" | |
| 9. | TEGGART Mathew TEAM WIGGINS | a | 01'54" | 9. | GIURIATO Alberto CYCLING TEAM FRIULI | a | 02'27" | |
| 10. | ABDERRAHIM Zahiri TREVIGIANI PHONIX HEMUS 1896 | a | 01'54" | 10. | RUBIO REYES Einer Augusto TEAM VEJUS | a | 02'30" | |
The stage in videos
The stage in pictures
