Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Tom Boonen kept himself near the front going into the final kilometer of 174.4km La Vuelta a España Stage 2 on Sunday, and earned himself an 8th place finish in the bunch sprint finale.
Leadouts for the sprint of a very hot stage didn't get control of the peloton until about 7km to go, as GC teams had kept their riders on the front to protect them up until that point. After 5km to go, the peloton became lined out with a pace of more than 60km/h.
There was a left turn shortly after the Flamme Rouge that caught a lot of riders out of position. FDJ.fr, however, found themselves ideally placed and were able to launch Nacer Bouhanni for the stage win. John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) was 2nd, and Roberto Ferrari (Lampre-Merida) was 3rd.
OPQS looks next to a 198.8km medium mountain Stage 3 on Monday, from Cadiz to Arcos de la Frontera. There are three Category 3 climbs in the middle of the parcours, as well as a short uphill finish.
