How the race finished
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) extended her lead, winning the Stage Two sprint from Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx Protime) and Marianne Vos (Visma Lease a Bike).
Full results are available below.
How it happened
Stage Two was a short 67km stage, once again flat, from Dordrecht to Rotterdam. With such a short stage, the attacks came from the gun, with French national champion Victoire Berteau attacking immediately, but being unable to get away.
At 3 km in, on a narrowing road, a big crash split the peloton into a number of groups on the road. Canyon//SRAM Racing, FDJ-Suez and SD Worx Protime were all present in the front group, and set a high pace. The second bunch included recently crowned Olympic Champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Oatly Cannondale) and 2023 stage winner Liane Lippert (Movistar), while a two other groups followed further back on the road.
The peloton regrouped at 14 kilometres into the race, and the attacks quickly recommenced. Laura Tomasi (Laboral Kutxa-Fundaction Euskadi) and Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) were both active but couldn’t get away. At 30 km in to the race Audrey De Keersmaeker (Lotto Dstny) attacked and went clear, quickly building up a 30 second solo lead.Another crash forced a bike change for Grace Brown (FDJ Suez), while other riders hit the ground a few kilometres later.
By 13 km to go Keersmaeker was still out front, but the peloton had picked up the pace, pulling her back to within 15 seconds. With 10km to go she had only a 5 second lead, and looked over her shoulder just before she was swept up.
On the run towards the finish line, a crash on the Pont Guillaume, just inside 3 km to go, affected two Liv AlUla Jayco riders and slowed the bunch, breaking up the group. SD Worx-Protime were in control at the front, with Blanka Vas and Mischa Bredewold both doing long turns in the closing kilometres, keeping the pace high with the peloton stretched out behind them. Barbara Guarischi launched Lorena Wiebes while Charlotte Kool (dsm firmenich PostNL) waited in the wings, diving through a gap to find clear space to power to the line, just overcoming Lorena Wiebes. Marianne Vos (Visma Lease a Bike) was this across the line.
Stage Two Results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
