Emilia Fahlin (FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope) was incredibly close to winning stage 2 of the Tour of Scandinavia, only passed by Marianne Vos (Team Jumbo-Visma) on the very last metres. It would have been a popular victory for the Swedish sprinter in her home country.
Four years ago, Fahlin had already finished runner-up to Vos on two stages of the Ladies Tour of Norway, the predecessor of the Tour of Scandinavia.
“I have exactly the same memory from 2018 when I came so very close to winning. I could see the finish, and then she came from behind and just squeezed past. It was a bit heartbreaking, but at the same time it is so cool to get on the podium here in Sweden where there are so many fans supporting us,” she said.
Fahlin’s ninth places in the Vårgårda WestSweden one-day race and on stage 1 showed that she was back to top form after three injury-plagued years, and she had her sights set on an even better result for stage 2.
On the finishing straight, she opened the sprint and led for a long time. Vos had to fight hard to come out of Fahlin’s slipstream on the last 70 metres, just pipping the Swede to the finish line by a few centimetres.
“I wanted to change something from my sprint yesterday. It was a long finishing straight, and I started a bit early so I would not be boxed in. I took a chance, it was just that bit too far to the line,” Fahlin explained.
The Ladies Tour of Norway, centered around the Norwegian border town of Halden, had often laid part of its course through its neighbouring country, including starting stages in Strömstad or on the Svinesund bridge connecting the two countries. Stage 2 of the Tour of Scandinavia on Wednesday was the first time that a stage took place entirely in Sweden, with Strömstad hosting the finish.
Fahlin took her narrow defeat in good spirits, thanking the Swedish fans when she was awarded the podium-only jersey for the best Swedish rider and jokingly asking the race organisation to move the finish line a bit closer for the following stages.
The Tour of Scandinavia now moves to Norway for the remaining four stages.
