In the second stage of the Giro d’Italia, which stretched over 221 kilometers, attention quickly turned to the finale, where a series of sharp climbs were on the menu. In support of team leader Vingegaard, the Dutch squad stayed near the front for the entire stage.

As the peloton approached the final climb, a major crash occurred involving Wilco Kelderman and Tim Rex from our team. On the final climb, Vingegaard made his move. The Dane accelerated and was joined by Giulio Pellizzari and Lennert Van Eetvelt. However, the trio were caught again in the final kilometer, after which Guillermo Thomas Silva sprinted to victory.

Sport director Marc Reef looked back on the day with mixed feelings. “There was nothing we could do about the crash. The corner was slippery and the pace in the peloton was high. When riders go down in front of you, there is no way to avoid it. At the moment, we don’t yet know how Wilco is doing.”

“Jonas was able to quickly switch focus after the crash,” Reef continued. “He shows that he is in excellent shape. The plan was to attack on the final climb, but of course you always have to see how the legs feel. It’s good to see how strong Jonas is.”

Vingegaard himself also looked back positively on his performance. “The idea was to thin out the group significantly in order to avoid the dangers in the final kilometer. I felt good today and I would have liked to sprint for the win, but it was much more important to reach the finish safely.”