Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Juan Jose Lobato (Movistar)(Image credit: Jean-François Quénet)
Xandro Meurisse (Crelan-Vastgoedservice) gets the stage win
Alexander Porsev (Katusha)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Edvald Boasson (Dimension Data) was all smiles on the podium as he won the green jersey
Norwegian national champion Edvald Boasson Hagen has extended his contract with Dimension Data for a further two years. Boasson Hagen joined the team after the 2014 season, having spent four years with Sky, taking a stage win last year at the Tour des Fjords and Post Danmark Rundt, winning the national road and time trials titles before taking out the Tour of Britain overall.
The 28-year-old then won stages at the Tour of Oman and Tour of Qatar and was fifth at Paris-Roubaix to conclude his classics campaign and early-season racing. Boasson Hagen is set to race the Tour of Norway as he prepares for the Tour de France in July.
Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) celebrates the stage victory (Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
"I think today's victory is the team's, not mine; I just put my name under the stage, but without them, it'd have been impossible to claim. I said during the podium ceremony interview that I'm especially happy because this win confirms I've been able to keep my form constant and victories coming through the last few months," Lobato said after the win.
Lobato won three races last year but didn't trouble the top step of the podium after February and to win in May was a confidence boost for the 27-year-old.
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"It's always important to win, even if you only do it once, but claiming victories in February, then April, then May... that makes me even happier," he added.
The former Euskaltel Euskadi rider will be wearing the leader's jersey for the second and final stage of the race, a circuit in the Spanish capital Madrid that will suit the fast finishing capabilities of Lobato.
Xandro Meurisse's first win halts Coquard in Dunkirk
Crelan-Vastgoedservice's Xandro Meurisse broke the winning run of Direct Energie's Bryan Coquard at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque to claim his first professional victory. The Belgian, who was a stagiaire with Lotto Belisol in 2014, explained that he came off Niki Terpstra's wheel in the finale to sprint to victory ahead of Coquard in Cassel.
"I joined the three leaders and keep them all behind me could in the final meters. I won the best stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk and am third in the GC," the 24-year-old said.
Meurisse added that win is a confidence boost for his upcoming goals and grand ambition of moving up from the Continental levels next season.
"I now work towards the Tour of Belgium and hope to strike again in the Ardennes stage. The ambition is to become professional next year. Preferably with my current team but that is a concern for later. I still want to enjoy this victory," he explained.
The race concludes with a 160.7km stage from Hondschoote to Dunkerque.
Xandro Meurisse (Crelan-Vastgoedservice) gets the stage win (Getty Images Sport)
Porsev breaks into top-ten on Giro stage 2 sprint
Katusha's Alexander Porsev hadn't cracked the top-ten in 2016 since a third and sixth in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana back in February. The 30-year-old though picked up where he left off at the Giro as he finished sixth in the stage 2 sprint having finished fourth on the final stage of last years race. Porsev, the 2014 Russian national champion, also had a fourth place on stage 13 of the 2015 Giro.
"I think for the first sprint it was ok, and I can be satisfied with my performance. In general, I felt quite good today. In the last few km I was a fighting for a good position and finally I was able to catch Kittel's wheel. When he started his sprint, I tried to follow him, but that speed was too fast for me," said Porsev. "But, I was able to finish 6th, and this is not bad at all.
With several sprint friendly stages to come in the Giro, Porsev added that "I hope in next days I can improve and reach the podium."
