Dauphiné stage 2: Ackermann wins sprint; Kwiatkowksi crashes

On a complicated day with hills and a crash in the finale, Pascal Ackermann (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to his second professional win at Critérium du Dauphiné stage 2 Tuesday in Belleville en Beaujolais, France.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) was second to the 24-year-old, and Monday’s winner Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) was third in the 180.5km stage. Overall leader Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky) crashed in the finale. After some attention from medical staff, he remounted his bike and finished. He was given the same time as the bunch, having crashed within the final three kilometers, but Impey took the GC lead thanks to time bonuses.

Astana’s Nikita Stalnov was the last breakaway caught as the race charged into the final kilometer of racing.

Belgian national champion Oliver Naesen (Ag2r La Mondiale) kicked off the sprint early.

After coming up short in the stage 1 sprint, Ackermann opted for a more patient approach.

Perhaps the more conservative approach was also due to the final categorized climb of the day, which eliminated some of the pure sprinters.

“It was a really hard final with the last climb,” Ackermann said. “I’m really, really happy that I was in the group and the team brought me to the best position.”

The German followed Boasson Hagen as the Norwegian responded to Naesen’s acceleration.

“I was in a good position for the sprint but it seemed the pace dropped in front of me just at the wrong moment, so that allowed the guys behind to keep a bit more speed while we had to try to accelerate again,” said Boasson Hagen. “I did all I could in the sprint but Ackermann finished faster.”

Then, Ackermann swept past on the right side to take the victory.

“Everything was perfect, and it was amazing that I won the race today,” he added. “It was not easy for sprinters because it was around 2,500 meters of altitude. Not that many sprinters were here.”

Ackermann also credited a bit of weight loss this season for helping him get over the day’s five categorized climbs.

Provided his injuries aren’t too severe, Kwiatkowski could reclaim the yellow jersey in Wednesday’s stage 3 team time trial, from Pont-de-Vaux to Louhans-Châteaurenaud over a flat 35 kilometers.

For his part, Impey is satisfied to have a stage win and a day in yellow to his credit.

“I didn’t think I was going to come anywhere close to getting the jersey coming into the Dauphiné, so I am really surprising myself here,” Impey said. Although he allowed that his team may have an opportunity to win stage 3. “We have a great team for the coming team time trial, we have to be the fastest of course to keep the jersey. We have to try to get the biggest margin possible over the other GC guys and we will certainly be giving it our best.”