Tour of the Alps 2023: Second stage win for Geoghegan Hart - Gall crashes in the finale

Second stage, second victory for Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers). The overall leader of the Tour of the Alps 2023 was also unbeatable on Tuesday. In the sprint on the speed skating track in Ritten, he came out of a small group of favourites ahead of the Bahrain-Victorious-professionals Jack Haig and Santiago Buitrago.

"I also have to thank Pavel Sivakov (Geoghegan Hart's team-mate; editor's note), who held the race together. He did an exceptionally good job. The whole team was great," said Geoghegan Hart after his victory.

Felix Gall crashes shortly before the finish

The Austrian Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën Team), who finished second on stage 1, was also in a promising position on the second stage, but crashed a few hundred metres before the finish in a left-hand bend and thus lost all chances of winning the stage. However, the 25-year-old had a stroke of luck. Because his crash occurred within the last three kilometres, he was given the same time as the winner and retained his second place in the overall classification.

Aleksandr Vlasov and Lennard Kämna, the two best-placed drivers from the German racing team Bora-Hansgrohewere unable to keep up with the leaders in the final. Kämna finished tenth, Vlasov was 14th.

How the 2nd stage went

After the start, a breakaway duo initially pulled away: Simon Carr (EF Education EasyPost) and Moran Vermeulen (Austrian national team) made their way to Ritten together. Vermeulen's team-mate Sebastian Schönberger, Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Sergio Samitier (Movistar). The leading group fell apart as the race entered the finale. Simon Carr, the last breakaway rider, was caught around seven kilometres before the finish under the pace dictation of Ineos Grenadiers.

Attacks are thwarted

There were attacks by Santiago Buitrago and Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education EasyPost) in the final kilometres, but these were not crowned with success. A few hundred metres before the finish, Felix Gall crashed before Geoghegan Hart opened the sprint on the speed skating track in Ritten and won the race with aplomb.

>> All stages of the Tour of the Alps at a glance

Tour of the Alps 2023: Results 2nd stage

1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) 3:57:42
2. Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:00
3. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:02
4. Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:02
5. Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo - Kometa) +0:02
6. Hugh Carthy (EF Education EasyPost) +0:02
7. Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Movistar) +0:02
8. Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education EasyPost) +0:02
9. Aurelien Paret-Peintre (AG2R-Citroën Team) +0:29
10. Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:29

The overall standings

1. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) 7:15:22
2. Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën Team) +0:18
3. Hugh Carthy (EF Education EasyPost) +0:22
4. Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) +0:28
5. Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Movistar) +0:28
6. Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:28
7. Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious) +0:30
8. Lorenzo Fortunato (Eolo - Kometa) +0:32
9. Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education EasyPost) +0:40
10. Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) +0:55

On Wednesday, the Tour of the Alps 2023 continues with stage 3, which leads over 162.5 kilometres from Ritten to Brentonico San Valentino.