Heading towards Schifflange on Thursday, the short climb located five kilometres from the finish did not prevent a bunch sprint at the end of the second stage of the Tour de Luxembourg. Despite having shown good legs and kept a good position in the final, Laurence Pithie was boxed in as the sprint approached and then had to settle for eighth place while Mads Pedersen claimed victory. A very hilly final could suit Groupama-FDJ on Friday.
The second stage of the Tour de Luxembourg was both the shortest – apart from the time trial – but also the least difficult of the week on paper. On the finishing, eleven-kilometre circuit in Schifflange, which had to be completed three times, only a short 900-metre climb averaging 7% was to be tackled. “It was the stage with the smallest elevation gain, and even if it’s always difficult in Luxembourg, there was nothing hard enough to open up the race and create real gaps,” explained Benoît Vaugrenard. “We knew that the sprint was almost inevitable today.” The day therefore unfolded in line with expectations. “It was quite a classic stage, with two breakaway riders and a peloton chasing behind, even if we had to be careful with the wind, which was relatively strong today,” added the Groupama-FDJ sports director. At the front of the race, Alexandre Kess (Philippe Wagner/Bazin) and Pepijn Reinderink (Soudal Quick-Step) did not worry the pack at all, and Kess even found himself alone at the front around the halfway point after his companion decided to wait for the peloton.
“It was mostly about positioning”, Benoît Vaugrenard
The leading man finally tackled the finishing circuit with a small gap, but he was caught before the first time on the line. Then, a handful of attacks came from the peloton, without really jeopardizing the anticipated bunch finish. Back on the attack, Reinderink tackled the final climb of the day with a lead of around ten seconds, but the peloton closed him down quite fast. Juan Ayuso then tried to get away as they approached the summit, four kilometres from the finish, but he wasn’t able to go clear, while David Gaudu, Kevin Geniets and Laurence Pithie remained very attentive at the front of the peloton. It all came back together on the descent and the final sprint did indeed take place. “Laurence got over the last climb pretty well, he was feeling better than yesterday, unfortunately he got a bit boxed in as he entered the last kilometre,” said Benoît. “What’s more, it was a sprint slightly downhill, so we knew it was mainly about positioning. It’s a shame because I think it was possible to do better than eighth.”
Too far back when the sprint started, the New Zealander had to settle for a top-10 finish while Mads Pedersen got the win. All his teammates also finished in the peloton. “We avoided the crashes in the final, that’s a good thing, and we’re now looking forward to the hard stages,” concluded Benoît. “Tomorrow really is the hardest stage, with 3,600 metres of elevation gain. In the final, there will be two laps of a circuit including lots of hills. The GC will be partly decided there.”
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