In the second stage of the Italian stage race, it took quite some time for the breakaway of the day to take shape. It was only after fourty kilometers of racing that six riders managed to break away from the peloton. The six-man group built up a lead of up to three minutes, but never really had the space to pull away. Driven by Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development, among others, the gap was gradually closed.

After the breakaway riders were caught two kilometers from the finish, it all came down to a bunch sprint. Taillieu managed to work his way to the front in the final kilometres, but ultimately had no answer to Donati’s acceleration. "Aldo rode a very strong sprint, resulting in a fine result. I think he was rewarded today for his patience", sports director Robby Cobbaert said.

"We had already been hoping to sprint for the win yesterday, but a major crash on the final straight put paid to that. Today, he moved through the peloton very efficiently and, in the final kilometre, settled on Donati’s wheel. As it turned out, that was the winning wheel."

Taillieu is also delighted with the result. "Yesterday we were well positioned, but circumstances meant we didn’t get the chance to sprint. Today it worked out and I sprinted to second place. This gives us confidence for the coming days", said Taillieu.

Tomorrow’s stage promises to be a tough one, with over 3,000 meters of climbing. "Depending on how the race unfolds, it could well be a decisive day for the general classification. The finish is quite a way past the final climb, so it could also end in a sprint from a reduced group. Nevertheless, I expect fireworks on the final climb", said Cobbaert.