It took around 60 kilometres of racing before a group of riders managed to establish a breakaway. The peloton allowed the riders to go clear, with their advantage growing to just over three minutes. Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development joined forces with Bahrain Victorious and Soudal Quick-Step in the chase to bring the breakaway back before the finale.

Everything came back together on the local circuit. With around 12 kilometres remaining, the breakaway was caught after a strong pursuit by the three teams, opening the race up once again.

The final metres proved chaotic. One of the riders in the peloton crashed in the last corner, causing problems for several riders. Aldo Taillieu was also held up in his sprint and was therefore unable to contest a podium place.

Henry Hobbs managed to stay upright amid the chaos and proved to be the fastest rider in the confusing sprint finish, securing the stage win for Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development.

Fabio Segatta finished 13th, while Aldo Taillieu crossed the line in 14th place. The team therefore concluded the second stage with a victory and two riders finishing just outside the the top 10.

Sports director Robbert de Groot reflected after the stage: “It was great to see how the team positioned Henry for the finale. This is a fantastic sprint victory for the entire team.”

Stage winner Henry Hobbs was also happy with the result: “Today we delivered a really strong team performance. I’m very happy with this victory, but it would not have been possible without the hard work of the entire team.”

Another demanding and similar stage awaits tomorrow. Covering more than 155 kilometres and featuring plenty of climbing, it is set to be another long and selective day of racing, with the finale likely to play a decisive role once again.