Fausto Masnada gets his second top 10 of the season in Saint-Imier.
Six classified climbs stacked in 165.7 kilometers made up the menu of stage 2, but despite the numerous difficulties, they didn’t end up making too many damages in the overall standings. The peloton was content to leave six riders open up a gap of two minutes, at all times keeping them on a leash before bringing them back on the slopes of La Vue-des-Alpes, the day’s final categorised ascents.
Several men tried to move away with 20 kilometers to go, as the bunch was whittled down on the tough slopes near the top of the climb, but the yellow jersey’s team reacted and nullified those attacks, keeping things together on the descent to Saint-Imier, where the race returned after six years. Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) took the win, while Fausto Masnada finished as Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s highest-ranked rider, in eighth place.
Another Italian member of the Wolfpack, Mattia Cattaneo, made a jump of two positions in the general classification. Cattaneo, top 10 on the previous two days of the Tour de Romandie, sits eighth, just a handful of seconds from the overall podium of the last World Tour race before the Giro d’Italia.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
