Tour de Romandie 2016: Stage 2 - Quintana wins first mountain stage and is new leader

The best is saved for last in the 2nd stage of the Tour de Romandie. In the final 22 kilometres the riders are welcomed by two tough ascents that are separated by a steep 3 kilometres drop. Quintana attacks at the closing climb with 6.5 kilometres left and Zakarin joins him. The Russian sprints to victory, or so it seems, as the organisation decides it was an irregular sprint. So: stage win and leaders jersey to Quintana with Zakarin in second. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2nd stage Tour de Romandie

1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) s.t.
3. Rui Costa (por) + 0.26
4. Rigoberto Uran (col) s.t.
5. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
6. Ion Izagirre (rus) s.t.
7. Rafal Majka (pol) s.t.
8. Mathias Frank (swi) s.t.
9. Pierre Rolland (fra) s.t.
10. Simon Spilak (slo) s.t.

99. Chris Froome (gbr) + 17.30

GC after stage 2
1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Ilnur Zakarin (rus) + 0.18
3. Ion Izagirre (spa) + 0.20
4. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.32
5. Rui Costa (por) + 0.36
6. Mathias Frank (swi) + 0.37
7. Simon Spilak (lo) + 0.42
8. Pierre Rolland (fra) + 0.43
9. Bauke Mollema (nld) + 0.44
10. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.46

12. Rafal Majka (pol) + 0.47
13. Tom Dumoulin (nld) + 0.57
14. Geraint Thomas (gbr) + 0.58
16. Tejay van Garderen (usa) + 1.06
20. Wilco Kelderman (nld) + 1.24

Race report
Egor Silin forces a tiny gap with 4 kms done, but he is chased down. No problem. When six riders are off a moment later the Russian is aboard again and this time to more avail. With De Gendt, Impey, Beppu, Wyss and Venter he races to a maximum lead at 5 minutes. Closing in on the two-stage ascent in the finale they have 1 minute left.

On the lower flanks of the climb to Les Champs Chris Froome punctures, while Pierre Rolland bridges the gap to the front of the race. Along with Impey he pushes on, but it is without success as on the closing climb they are brought back. Froome is another rider without success as he doesn’t manage to return to the group with GC favourites.

Nairo Quintana attacks with 6,5 kms remaining and Ilnur Zakarin chases him down in 1 km and the duo heads for the line. The Russian outsprints the Colombian, but he doesn’t win the stage as he is relegated. So Quintana wins the stage and he is the new leader.

Izagirre finishes in the chasing group and is now in third.

And Froome? He lost minutes…