In the second stage of the Australian stage race, the attacks came thick and fast. One rider managed to build up a significant lead, but was unable to make it to the finish line solo. With ten kilometres to go, Van Dam and four other riders saw their chance to break away from the peloton.

The five gained a lead of about twenty seconds, but that proved insufficient to compete for the stage victory. In the final kilometre, they got caught, after which Wollaston took the victory. Van Dam, who had already sprinted to fifth place yesterday, moved up to sixth place in the general classification.  

"We can look back on this stage with a good feeling", said sports director Jos van Emden. "We wanted to make the race tough from the start, and Maud and Rosita in particular did that very well. In the final, Sarah attacked twice. She had the chance to win the stage, but unfortunately she was caught at the end. It shows that she is in good shape."

According to Maud Oudeman, the heat made it a tricky day on the bike. "It was a typical Australian summer day. We had to cool down and drink a lot along the way", she said. "Our plan was to break open the race from the start and cause some fireworks. We certainly did that. Unfortunately, it didn't result in a leading group, but it did make for a tough race."

"On the local laps, I tried to break away again, but nothing stuck. Sarah ended up in a nice group at the end, but that didn't last either." With one stage to go, the classification could still go either way. "Tomorrow will be a very tough day. We are all in good shape and going for the highest possible result."