Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali: Vingegaard wins stage 2

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Jonas Vingegaard won stage 2 atop the punishing local-circuit ascent of the Sagliano all Rubicone at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali. The Jumbo-Visma climber proved strongest on the final climb finishing just ahead of Ivan Sosa (Ineos Grenadiers), while Nick Schultz (Team BikeExchange) cross the line in third at three seconds back.

Vingegaard launched his winning attack on the upper slopes of the 3km ascent, after late-race breakaway riders Mauri Vansevenant (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Juan Ayuso (Colpack Ballan) had been swallowed up by the main field in the closing hundred metres of the stage. 

In a sprint to the line among the top climbers in the field, Vingegaard finished ahead of Sosa, and three seconds later it was Schultz in third, followed by Ben Hermans (Israel Start-Up Nation) in fourth, and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) in fifth. 

Although Vansevenant hung on for sixth place, it wasn’t enough to keep the leader’s jersey within the Deceuninck-QuickStep team.

Vingegaard has taken the leader’s jersey off the back of Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and now leads the overall classification by one second ahead of Sosa and three seconds ahead of Hermans as Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali resumes with stage 3’s 145km race in Riccione.

How it unfolded

Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali resumed for stage 2 with Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep) in the overall leader’s jersey after the previous day’s opening two stages where he placed second and collected time bonuses in the stage 1a bunch sprint and then placed third in the stage 1b team time trial. 

The 163km race was routed between Riccone and Sagliano all Rubicone, and included six climbs, of which three offered mountain points at the top. The first climb for points was located at Torriana (2km at 10 per cent) located along the 50km stretch of road before reaching the local finishing circuits. 

The peloton then contested a local circuit that included five climbs up Sogliano Al Rubicone (3.1km at 6.4 per cent), two of which offered points at the top, and then one last climb to the finish line held at the top.

An early breakaway formed that included Márton Dina (Eolo Kometa), Xabier Azparren (Euskaltel Euskadi), Lorenzo Visintainer (General Store Curia), Emil Dima (Giotti Victoria Savini Due), Francesco Carollo (MGKVIS VPM), Mattia Petrucci (Team Colpack Ballan).

After just 14km of racing, the six riders pushed their gap out to more than four minutes but Israel-Start-Up Nation, winners of the stage 1b team time trial, soon moved to the for of the main field to bring that gap down to a more manageable three minutes.

Over the first climb of the day, Torriana, Petrucci picked up full mountain points ahead of Dina in second and Dima in third. Israel Start-Up Nation set a quick pace as the race approached the local circuits, slashing the gap to the six breakaway riders at 3:10 as they entered the local circuits.

Israel-Start-up Nation had six riders at two seconds behind Cavendish in the overall classification following the team time trial, and so the team were also at the front of the field over the first ascent of the Sogliano Al Rubicone.

The six breakaway riders showed signs of fatigue as they rounded the second lap of the circuit, but still maintained around three minutes on the main field. On the second time up the climb, Dina picked up full mountain points, followed by Petrucci and then Azparren.

Dina and Azparren made a strong move and shedded their former breakaway companions Visintainer, Petrucci and Dima, while Carollo lost contact altogether and was swept up by the field.The leading pair proved to be a strong duo gaining nearly two minutes on the chasers and more than four minutes on the main field. On the third time up the Sogliano Al Rubicone ascent, Dina and Azparren held a steady pace and pushed their lead out to 2:45. 

The chase group almost completely dismantled at this point with Visintainer on his own followed by Dima and then Petrucci, but all three of them only seconds ahead the main field.

The fourth ascent of the Sogliano Al Rubicone was the breaking point for the last two breakaway riders. Dina pushed ahead alone and picked up the final set of mountain points, which was enough to take the mountain classification lead. He distanced Azparren on the climb but the main field was only 40 seconds behind and so their efforts for the day came to an end ahead of the final lap of the race.

The group all together, the first attack came from Antonio Tiberi (Trek-Segafredo), which set off a flurry of new attacks. Mauri Vansevenant (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Juan Ayuso (Colpack Ballan) cleared the field with Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos), Fabio Felline (Astana) and Giovanni Carboni (Bardiani CSF Faizane) chasing to try and connect with the leading duo at 5km to go, but their efforts were fruitless as the main field, led by Ineos Grenadiers, swallowed them up at the start of the final climb up Sogliano Al Rubicone.

Vansevenant’s and Ayuso’s last-ditch efforts were not enough to hold off the powerful attacks from the main field behind on the upper slopes of the Sogliano Al Rubicone, and they were passed by in the race for the stage win inside the last kilometre with Vingegaard taking the win.