Paula Blasi retained the White Jersey as leader of the Young Rider Classification at the end of Stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes.
The 147.9-kilometre stage from Aigle to Geneva was raced at an extremely high pace. Every breakaway attempt was brought back, including the last one, setting up the expected bunch sprint. For the second consecutive day, Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) proved the fastest to take the stage victory.
The UAE Team L’IMAD riders finished safely in the peloton, with Dominika Wlodarczyk leading the team home in 13th place. Thanks to the bonus seconds collected at the intermediate sprint, Elisa Longo Borghini moved up to fifth overall in the general classification, while UAE Team L’IMAD also retained the lead in the team classification.
Looking ahead to another day in the White Jersey, Paula Blasi said: “It’s really special to be wearing the White Jersey and I’m very happy. I had been told that there are no easy days at the Tour de France Femmes, and that’s absolutely true. Even today, although it looked like a straightforward stage on paper, the pace was incredibly high and we had to work even harder than yesterday. From tomorrow the race becomes more demanding, and I think that suits us better. We like to make the race hard and race aggressively, so I’m sure we’ll be up there fighting.”
The day, however, had begun with unfortunate news for UAE Team L’IMAD. Brodie Chapman did not start Stage 2 after feeling unwell during yesterday’s opening stage. Overnight, she developed a fever, likely caused by an abdominal inflammation. In agreement with the team’s medical staff, it was decided that she would return home to recover.
(ph. Getty Sport)
