Volta a Catalunya: Bouhanni repeats on stage 2 in Olot

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Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) won his second consecutive stage during the Volta a Catalunya in Olot on Tuesday. The Frenchman gapped his competitors in the sprint to the line on stage 2, and with the time bonus further increased his lead in the overall classification. Etixx-QuickStep’s Gianni Meersman was second and Philippe Gilbert (BMC) third.

Bouhanni picked up the 10-second time bonus offered at the finish line and now leads the overall classification by 14 seconds ahead of both Ben Swift (Team Sky) and the day’s breakaway rider Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal).

Stage 2 at the Volta a Catalunya, a 178.8km race from Mataro to Olot, presented the peloton with a set of climbs; Alt de Can Bordoi (27km), Alt de Els Angels (108km) and along the finale highway risers and through Mont Ros Tunnel toward Olot.

The day’s four-man move included Kamil Gradek (Verva ActiveJet Pro Cycling Team), Maxime Bouet (Etixx-QuickStep), Boris Dron (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and De Gendt.

The peloton drew closer to the breakaway at the second and final intermediate sprint with roughly 30km to go, where Dron dropped off the back of the breakaway and his three companions continued on in pursuit of the time bonuses.

De Gendt, who picked up bonus seconds in the sprint, made a solo move with 25km to go but the chase from Cofidis, in support of their team leader and stage 1 winner Bouhanni, proved to be too fast to hold off and he looked to have given up his push for the finish line with roughly 18km to go.

Cofidis fought off a number of competing sprint teams including Tinkoff, Team Sky, CCC Sprandi and Trek-Segafredo and BMC during the last 10km. With about six kilometers to go, AG2R La Mondiale, Team Sky and Tinkoff pushed harder for better positioning, while Cofidis moved slightly further back in the field, likely taking a breather before setting up for the final sprint.

Team Sky took charge with four kilometres to the line and Cofidis moved further up in the field, but Movistar pushed forward with three kilometres to go, followed by Orica-GreenEdge setting up for Daryl Impey, who was third in stage 1, and sprinter Simon Gerrans.

Inside two kilometres FDJ also moved to the front as the jockeying for position continued, while riders from Tinkoff, Team Sky and Katusha mixed it up at the front, too.

It was Cofidis’ train that blasted through the last bend in the lead with Bouhanni tucked in further back. His trusted lead-out man Geoffrey Soupe, with his unmistakable beard, pulled through the centre of the peloton that was sweeping back and fourth across the road, with Bouhanni on his wheel.

He led his sprinter through the final 400 metres and Bouhanni launched a practically-uncontested-sprint to take his second stage win in as many days.

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