May 6/17 15:28 pm - Giro d'Italia: Stage 2

Posted by Editoress on 05/6/17
 

In a stage with strong headwinds the sprinters' teams controlled the race until the final showdown. The experienced Greipel beat his rivals in the sprint.

André Greipel claimed his seventh stage win at a Giro d'Italia as he outsprinted Roberto Ferrari and Jasper Stuyven at Tortolì at the end of a stage more than six hours long, due to the head wind. For the first time in his long career, the ‘Gorilla’ moved into the lead of a Grand Tour. He'll be in the Maglia Rosa for the third and last day of the Giro100's visit to Sardinia.

It is Greipel's first Maglia Rosa ever but the 23rd for German riders. The last of them to lead the Giro d'Italia was Marcel Kittel in 2016. Herman Buse was the first, exactly 85 years ago after he won stage 2 from Vicenza to Udine on 15 May 1932 – but it was a very different way of winning as he soloed to cross the finishing line 11 minutes before his competitors

    Maglia Rosa (pink), general classification leader - André Greipel (Lotto Soudal)
    Maglia Ciclamino (cyclamen), sprinter classification leader - André Greipel (Lotto Soudal)
    Maglia Azzurra (blue), King of the Mountains classification leader  - Daniel Teklehaimanot (Team Dimension Data)
    Maglia Bianca (white), young rider general classification leader - Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora - Hansgrohe)

Mike Woods (Cannondale Drapac) was top Canadian in 71st in the same time as the winner. Svein Tuft (Orica-Scott) was 137th at 1:12 back.