Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana: Fabio Jakobsen wins stage 2

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Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) won stage 2 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana with a dominant sprint display in Torrent, having overcome cramps and the Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert train to take a commanding victory.

The Dutchman hitched a ride on the Intermarché group in the final kilometre of the stage in Torrent after the Belgian squad wrested control from his own team in the final corner. He blasted off Andrea Pasqualon's wheel in the final 200 metres, with his rivals having no answer to his speed.

Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates) trailed home in second place ahead of Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers). Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) took fourth place ahead of Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux).

"We started out yesterday with a win from Remco [Evenepoel] and it showed that the team is in good shape. Today was a hard stage and I definitely hard to work hard for this," Jakobsen said after the finish. 

"We had control all day with Josef Cerny and then in the final Mikkel Honoré did a long pull. Then the entire team did a lead out. Remco was I think one of the strongest again to help me, which is think is nice in the yellow jersey. If Wanty doesn't pass us in the last corner I think we have a perfect lead out. But they came underneath, and we had to re-do it.

"I found my own way and launched myself at 200 from the line. I have to say I had small cramps in the legs because it was hot and the first race of the season but I'm happy with the win."

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert had taken over at the front for the crucial closing straight after slipping up the inside of QuickStep-AlphaVinyl on the final corner after Jakobsen's team had been in charge for much of the run-in – as well as much of the stage.

They looked determined to deliver a result for new signing Kristoff on an uphill finish which suited his characteristics, but the Norwegian couldn't match Jakobsen despite being on the 25-year-old's wheel when the sprint started.

The final run to the line was a display of pure power from Jakobsen, who duly opened his account for the season with seeming ease.

Remco Evenepoel (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) retains the race lead unchallenged after the second stage of the race. He leads Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) by 19 seconds, while Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) is third at 37 seconds.

How it unfolded

Stage 2 of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana took the long way round form Bétera to Torrent, circling around a 171.5-kilometre hilly route between the two towns, which are only 20 kilometres away on the map.

Five categorised climbs dotted the day's route, including two second-category tests and the third-category Calicanto at 15 kilometres from the finish, though the stage looked all set for a bunch sprint finish despite the final kilometre rising uphill.

The day's break established themselves during the early, flatter portion of the stage, with Human Powered Health duo Joey Rosskopf and mountain classification leader Ben King joined out front by Mikel Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Iván Cobo (Kern Pharma), Mathijs Paasschens (Bingoal-Pauwels Sauces-WB), and Sergio Martín (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).

Oscar Pelegri (Burgos-BH) also tried to make it across to the move but was stuck between the sextet and the peloton and called it a day after around 25 kilometres of racing.

The break quickly built a gap of four minutes, and their advantage didn't extend much beyond that during a stage which saw QuickStep-AlphaVinyl and Israel-Premier Tech in charge at the head of the peloton.

It was no surprise that King had gone in the move in search of mountain classification points with 21 on offer throughout the stage, and it was no surprise when, on the first climb at Gabaldón, he jumped off the front to take the first three of the day ahead of Martín.

That was a formula that held for the following climbs through the mid-section of the stage as King added three, six and six more points to his total at Río Juanes, La Muela, Fuente La Real, as well as leading across the day's intermediate sprint.
Both Azparren and Martín were detached from the front during the run of climbs, leaving four up front as the riders headed into the final 50 kilometres with a three-minute advantage.

QuickStep-AlphaVinyl continued to do their thing on the front, gradually bringing the gap down before stepping up the pace heading into the final 30 kilometres. Only the Calicanto remained, but the final climb of the day would be a bridge too far for the break as King and Paasschens were dragged back on its lower slopes.

Counter-attacks duly followed, with Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) leading solo over the top with a slim advantage before a nasty crash grabbed the attention on the downhill. David Dekker (Jumbo-Visma) was among two riders to fall, having gone straight off the road and a steep drop coming around a corner.

There were some nervous moments as helicopter shots lingered on the undergrowth where Dekker seemed to have headed before, moments later, he reappeared walking across the road before waiting for a spare bike – seemingly unharmed.

Back to the racing and QuickStep-AlphaVinyl continued on the front heading into the final 10 kilometres, their positioning letting them avoid a crash in the middle of the peloton and set things up for Jakobsen in Torrent, with yellow jersey Evenepoel even doing a stint at the front.

The Belgian powerhouse squad gave up control – though not by choice – around the last corner as Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, but in the final sprint it was all about Jakobsen as the Dutchman left his rivals with no choice but to battle over a distant second place.