KATOWICE, Poland (AFP) — Italy’s Sacha Modolo won a sprint at the end of the 142km stage 2 of the Tour of Poland on Sunday, beating Sky’s Danny van Poppel over the last 50 meters.
“I have to say it’s the most important victory of my season so far,” said UAE Team Emirates’s Modolo. “Today in the sprint I used my instinct. It’s the third or fourth time that I’ve done this stage and sprint here, but I never really liked this finish: it’s for powerful riders. My skills are a bit different; I’m more of a rider for slight uphill finishes.”
Van Poppel took over the yellow jersey from Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), who won Saturday’s opening stage in his first outing since being thrown off the Tour de France three weeks ago.
Germany’s Max Walscheid (Sunweb) opened the sprint but Modolo and Van Poppel overtook him 100 meters out with Walscheid holding third ahead of the Sky rider’s elder brother Boy van Poppel in fourth.
“I found [Roberto] Ferrari in the right place at the right time and I used the slipstream of the other riders to launch my sprint. There was a headwind so it wasn’t an easy sprint to interpret,” Modolo added.
Monday’s third of eight stages runs 161km from Jaworzno to Szczyrk.
Stage 2, top five
1. Sacha Modolo (ITA/UAD) les 142 kilomètres en 03h15’21”.
2. Danny Van Poppel (NED/SKY) m.t
3. Maximilian Walscheid (GER/SUN) m.t
4. Boy Van Poppel (NED/SKY) m.t
5. Youcef Reguigui (ALG/TFS) m.t
Top-five overall
1. Danny Van Poppel (NED/SKY) 6h11’27
2. Peter Sagan (SVK/BOH) mt
3. Sacha Modolo (ITA/UAD) mt.
4. Caleb Ewan (AUS/ORS) 0:05.
5. Maximilian Walscheid (GER/SUN) 0:06.
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