Dan Martin wins second stage and leads in Volta ao Algarve
Feb 17 2017 12:55 am CET
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEEDSQuick-Step Floor's Dan Martin has won the second stage of the Volta ao Algarve. The rider crossed the finish line before Primoz Roglic after an uphill battle and also took the lead in the General Classification.
The second stage of the Portuguese race was 189.3 kilometers long between Lagoa and the Alto da Foia.
The stage started with a breakaway of eight riders. The group, conformed by Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo), Kanneth Vanbilsen (Cofidis), Igor Boev (Gazprom-RusVelo), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij), Adam de Vos (Rally Cycling), João Matias (LA Alumínios-Metalusa BlackJack), Luis Gomes and Daniel Sánchez (RP-Boavista), managed to form a gap of over three minutes with the peloton.
With a little more than 60 kilometers to go Theuns attacked from this group and went solo for no more than 20 kilometers until he was caught by a peloton led by Katusha-Alpecin.
During the last kilometers Quick-Step Floors took control of the main group in order to help position Dan Martin ahead of the final climb.
The last 10 kilometers featured a battle between Martin, Primoz Roglic (Lotto NL-Jumbo), Amaro Antunes (W52/FC Porto) and Michal Kwiatowski (Team Sky) as the rest of the peloton could no longer keep up.
With four kilometers to go Martin attacked and Roglic proved to be the only one in the group that still had the legs to follow and even attack back, taking the lead momentarily. But the Quick-Step rider was not letting him go and during the next kilometers the two of them fought unsuccessfully to leave the other behind.
The Irish rider was at the end the strongest in the uphill sprint, crossing the finish line just centimeters before Roglic. The duo were followed by Kwiatkowski, Antunes and Rinaldo Nocentini of Sporting Tavira.
