AlUla Tour

Stage 2 of the Saudi race was also the longest one in the history of this race, almost 200 kilometers from Winter Park to the Sharaan Nature Reserve. The course came with a sting in the tail, a short climb just before the flat final kilometer which the sprinters had a chance of surviving depending on the tempo pushed there.

But long before that, crosswinds spiced up the stage, splitting the peloton into four different groups and spreading chaos after just two hours of racing. After a wild chase, things came back together, and Soudal Quick-Step – who was prominent in the echelons – remained at the head of the bunch, driving the tempo with Ayco Bastiaens, who helped bring back the escapees.

Things remained quiet until the final three kilometers, when the road began going up and a flurry of attacks made it clear it wouldn’t be the sprinters’ day. Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility) took the win from a small group, while Jordi Warlop finished sixth. Despite not featuring in the finale, Tim Merlier remains well placed in the general classification, just eight seconds off the lead with three days remaining at the Alula Tour.

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