Quick Step’s Fernando Gaviria made it two out of two by winning the second stage of the Tour Of Guangxi in China.
The final World Tour race of the 2017 season had Quick Step’s Fernando Gaviria in the leader’s jersey for a 156.7km stage from Qinzhou to Nanning with two category three climbs and a slightly uphill finish.
122 riders started the stage including Remy Cavagna of Quick Step in the KOM jersey and Silvan Dillier of BMC in the blue points jesey.
It was Dillier who formed the first break along with Tim Wellens and Andrey Grivko and Dillier took the first sprint of the day before the break was ended after fifteen kilometres.
Fominykh (Astana), Teklehaimanot (DiData), Keukeleire (Orica-Scott), Mathis (Katusha), Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and Mohoric (UAE), briefy led with Keukeire taking the next sprint as the race caback together aeh thirty kilomtetres raced mark.
Dillier, Wang Meiyin and Jonathan Lastra went away off the front as Beñat Intxausti of Team Sky abandoed the race, with Dillier first over the climb after 41.1kms and then first to the sprint points as their lead went out to 3.30.
There were more sprint points for Dillier, this time after 104kms as the gap dropped to 1.15 with 35kms left.
Fifteen kilometres later, the gap stood at thirty seconds and with three kilometres to go, it was all over.
Thomas De Gendt was ahead for a short time but the ‘Green City of China’ was always going to see a sprint and Fernando Gaviria of Quick Step took it in 3.43.54 ahead of Walscheid, Wippert, Pelucchi, Debesay, Cort, Colbrelli, Zurlo, Oss and Nizzolo.
Gaviria leads the race from Dillier going into stage three.
Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group
Source: DSG
