One day after his frustrating defeat, Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) finally returned to his winning ways when he finished off an excellent Dimension Data performance on stage 2 of the Tour of Croatia. After a great lead-out from Mark Renshaw, he easily held off Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek) and Renshaw even made it two riders from the team on the podium. Cavendish also took the overall lead.

 

We have gathered a few reactions.

 

Mark Cavendish: I am glasd that the team still believed in me.

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka put in a clinical performance at the 2nd stage of the Tour Croatia as Mark Cavendish sprinted to the victory, Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) was 2nd and Mark Renshaw rounded out the podium for the African Team in 3rd.

 

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka also had a keen interest in today's stage and so Jay Thomson was sent up front to add some reinforcement to the chase. While there was a fair bit more climbing today, it was not enough to stretch the peloton during the race. A crash mid peloton in the final 10km of the stage had the biggest impact on the race, reducing the main group to around 60 riders, but the African Team were safely at the head of affairs and so were unaffected.

 

The break, after a good 200km out front, were reeled in by the main group and once again it was a technical run in to the finish. Reinardt Janse van Rensburg did a stellar job, doing multiple turns on the front of the peloton while Renshaw guided Cavendish to prime position for the final kilometer. A roundabout and two 90-degree bends made the finale quite tricky and positioning was vital for a top result. The Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka team ticked all those boxes as Cavendish was able to come off Renshaw's wheel with 150m to go and take a good win.

 

The leadout worked so well that Renshaw was able to roll home in third place on the stage. After finishing 2nd yesterday and taking the win today, Cavendish also took over the lead in the general classification as well.

 

“I'm really happy to take the win today. Yesterday the team rode on the front from beginning and I just messed up a bit in the final, I just didn't have it yesterday really. So I was really glad the team kept the faith in me for today. Once again Jay spent all day in front, working super hard. The guys were then also really prominent in final. The finishes here in Croatia are really technical and quite dangerous so it make it quite nervous. We had a good plan with Mark Renshaw to lead it out into the corners. Yesterday I over geared a bit but today I went in with a smaller gear and after coming through the corners it was more about the acceleration than the power. So I was super happy to take the win for the team because the guys were really fantastic. We have the leader’s jersey now which means it will be another long day on the front for Jay tomorrow but he has been so strong and is riding really well. The stage definitely isn't for me tomorrow but Reinie can be up there so as a team we will remain prominent in the race,” Cavendish said.

 

“It was a good day and another long stage at 240km. It was a windy day too, we certainly had more wind than expected. The break took a bit longer to form today, there were many attacks and sometimes there were even quite big groups that went ahead. Later on 6 riders were in the break and Trek never gave them more than 5 minutes. Halfway through the stage we started sharing the work with Trek. Coming to the final everything worked out, the team did a really good job. Renshaw took Cavendish through the final kilometer really well. We are really happy with the win of today,” Sports director Alex Sans Vega said.

 

Giacomo Nizzolo: If the roadbook had been correct, I could have won again

In a reversal from stage one, Giacomo Nizzolo settled for second in another technical finale while Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) sprinted to the victory in stage two at the Tour of Croatia. After a lengthy 240 kilometer stage, it was again a tricky ending with two turns in quick succession in the final few hundred meters and the finish line a short dash after the last corner.

 

Nizzolo entered the final turn in third wheel behind Cavendish, who was led by teammate Mark Renshaw, and although he gained ground on the speedy Brit in the last meters he ran out or real estate to overtake Cavendish.

 

"I was surprised that after the last turn it was shorter to the line than expected," said Nizzolo. "It was supposed to be 180 meters, but it was actually less than 100. I am disappointed because I had good legs and had the feeling I could pass. But okay, maybe still I would not have won, but at least it would have been close, and I could be second by a width of a wheel."

 

A six-man breakaway led for most of the day and with the leader's jersey and a possible stage win on the line, Trek-Segafredo controlled from the peloton.

 

In the hectic final kilometers with the breakaway tamed, Edward Theuns and Boy Van Poppel provided crucial help, and in the last kilometer, Nizzolo used his savvy to work his way to Cavendish, rounding the final corner on his wheel.

 

"Our team was organized all race, but it was a crazy finale, really really crazy," continued Nizzolo. "I was in 9th or 10th position in the last kilometer and at 400 meters to go I made a sprint to get Cav's wheel. I am happy how I prepared the sprint – I was able to get on the wheel everyone wants into the last corner. Congrats to Cav and Dimension Data because they made a really good leadout -  Renshaw was also third."

 

"We gave the breakaway a maximum of six minutes and Julien (Bernard) and Gregy (Rast) did a fantastic job in working to keep control of the breakaway and helping to bring it back," added director Dirk Demol. "It's too bad that what was written in the road book was not correct, and I also missed the manager's debriefing on Monday night [Dirk Demol was a last minute replacement for director Adriano Baffi – ed].

 

"It was another long stage, and with all the long transfers, I did not have time to have a real good look at the finale today. In the road book, it said 180 meters but it was much shorter, and Giacomo could not pass. But it was again a good sprint by Giacomo, and second behind Cavendish is not so bad."

 

The only hiccup for the team was Julian Arredondo and Riccardo Zoidl, the two riders aiming for high finishes in the general classification, caught behind a split in the peloton, a result of a late crash. They lost 51 seconds by the finish.

 

Demol said:

 

"There were a couple of crashes at the end and the peloton split and our two GC riders, Julian and Riccardo lost almost a minute, and of course that's not good. But on the other side, Giacomo is in really good form, and this is promising for the Giro."

 

Kolar takes over Baska in crash-marred sprint in Croatia

It was Michael Kolar’s chance to shine today – after teammate Erik Baška took fifth place in the opening stage of the Tour of Croatia, Kolar crossed the line in Split in fourth position – narrowly missing a podium place. With Baška held up in a crash in the technical finish of the stage, Kolar stepped up and finished strongly.

 

The second stage of the Tour of Croatia was even longer than the first. A 240km route – the longest of the race – stretched its way down the southern leg of the country, starting from the stunningly beautiful Plitvička Jezera national park, and making its way to Split, on the Adriatic coast. Compared to yesterday’s flat route, today’s saw a more undulating parcours, albeit with a flat finish that encouraged a bunch sprint.

 

While a break did manage to escape early on in the stage, the promise of a long downhill to the finish meant the peloton was untroubled until closer to the end of the stage, as Sport Director, Ivan Basso, explained.

 

“Like yesterday a break went early but today we didn’t take control until around 40km to go, again focusing on the sprint for Erik Baška but in the end he was held up in the crash and Michael Kolar did a good job to switch focus and get up there for fourth.”

 

With two roundabouts and a 90 degree turn in the last kilometre of the stage, it was highly likely that even if the sprinters managed to get through the preceding 239km without incident, there was always the chance they would be involved in, or held up by, a crash close to the finish. After Kolar sprinted when Baška was held up, and to hold his own against some of the biggest names of the peloton, Basso was impressed.

 

“Michael was sprinting against big names so we’re really happy with him and the result he got. These are the sprints that will really build your confidence and bring you on as a rider. And if Erik was there then we would have had two in the final to play for.”

 

Continuing, Basso highlighted the team’s efforts.

 

“So we are really happy again for how the team did, it was again perfect commitment from the guys. The only negative point was Baška being behind the crash at the end but he didn’t come down and we still had Michael there. All the other guys did a great job in helping them ahead of the finish.”

 

Stage 3 takes the race into more hilly terrain. Starting in Makarska, the route takes in some bigger climbs, warming the riders up for the climbs of stage 4. The 189.8km route is more suited to the all-rounders, and while the parcours flattens out towards the end, there’s every chance a breakaway can stick. Basso was pleased with the team’s performance so far, and was looking to build on this after another strong performance.

 

“Tomorrow again we take it again as it comes. The parcours is obviously harder, a bit like Liège. We will talk with the riders and make a plan for the stage later. They are really racing and I like this commitment. Tomorrow is another day – we have a few cards to play and we’ll see how it plays out.”

 

Mistimed lead-out costly for Andrea Guardini in Croatia

Astana had Andrea Guardini in 5th.

 

“It was very technical stage, I explained to the team what to do and what is the right moment to do it, but we did a mistake, the riders started to pull too early. It is not easy to realize the tactic on the paper in the race. It is not a PlayStation, in the race it is another situation, another occasion, you just need to analyze the occasions and react. I’m sorry for Andrea because today was really good possibility for him,” explained sport director Gorazd Stangelj after the second stage of Tour of Croatia.

 

“We don’t have pure climber here, that is why we are not aiming to win the GC, but, for sure, we are here to try to win a stage. This race is also important for our team as a good step of preparation for some riders. For example, we have Alessandro Vanotti and Maxat Ayazbayev, who haven not raced for a long time. Furthemore, we have Andrea Guardini, Laurens De Vreese and Dmitriy Gruzdev, who are strong and motivated. They don’t have the specific work to do for the team and therefore they are free to show something,” concluded Stangelj.

 

Crash-marred sprint for ONE Pro Cycling in Croatia

Karol Domagalski sprinted to the line claiming a Top 10 for ONE on another technical finish at the Tour of Croatia.

 

In a similar fashion to stage 1, the first break established very early on, with a group of 7 riders including Joshua Hunt going off the front at kilometre 18. Bardiani having missed the opportunity took to the front of the peloton to lead the chase. An intense pace was set as Bardiani attempted to send across a solo rider, which resulted in the break being caught and everything was back together once more. No sooner had the break been caught that another attack at the front of the peloton saw 5 riders move up the road, once again Joshua Hunt managed to cover the move and join what became the official breakaway of the day. One additional rider slid off the front to join the lead group which during the course of the race gained a maximum advantage of 5 minutes on the bunch.

 

Today’s race saw a nervous peloton, even as Trek controlled the bunch the pace seemed to only increase as riders fought for position, trying not to get caught out by the strong crosswinds. ONE Pro Cycling were looking to set up Chris Opie for the sprint, riding well together they travelled through the race as a tight unit looking after Opie’s sprint hopes. Inside the last 20km riders were faced with a technical course, filled with steep descents and narrow, twisting roads. ‘The Machine’ Marcin Bialoblocki who was positioned well in the peloton, came down hard in a crash only 18km from the line. Shortly after the break was caught, apart from one Bardiani rider who jumped from the group fancying his chances of staying away, later to be caught 10km to go.

 

Unfortunately the chaos didn’t end there, as Yanto Barker hit the tarmac going into a corner inside the last 10km. Meanwhile James Oram, Richard Handley and George Harper were working to protect sprinter Chris Opie but in another unfortunate accident Opie’s sprint hopes were dashed as he was brought down in a crash on the technical circuit only 6km from the line. The team tried to get Opie back to the peloton but due to the fast run in, the call was made with 5km to go that we would focus on Karol Domagalski for the sprint.

 

As Richard Handley punctured 1km from the line, it left only James Oram working to position the Polish powerhouse in the bunch for the sprint. In a solid effort after the last minute change of plans Domagalski sprinted to the line to claim 10th position on the chaotic stage.

 

Following the result Head DS Matt Winston commented: “The boys rode really well as a unit all day, we did a lot of things right and we improved our position work and our awareness around the peloton from yesterday. We were in a good position to set up for the sprint but we were unlucky with 3 crashes in the last 15km of the race. However still pleasing to get a top 10 result from Karol Domagalski in the final bunch sprint.”

 

VERVA ActiveJet miss out in Croatian sprint

VERVA Activejet’s Paweł Franczak finished 15th.

 

The fight for getting into the breakaway started from gun and Adam Stachowiak represented VERVA Activejet colours in an eight-man move. The group didn’t get much space and was shut down early.

 

A subsequent counterattack with Łukasz Bodnar and five other riders formed a breakaway of the day and managed to gain a maximum of 5 minutes over the bunch.

 

The last kilometre was marked by two roundabouts and a technical turn, a nervous final to an extremely long stage. Crashes split the peloton and VERVA Activejet’s Jonas Koch went down in one of the pile-ups. The German rider was able to finish the stage on his own despite injuries sustained, sports director Piotr Kosmala confirmed.

 

“We knew the final from last year and we talked about it during the meeting in the morning. As expected, it was very dangerous and we didn’t manage to avoid the crash. Jonas crashed quite hard but got back on his bike after a longer while. At that point Paweł was already too far off and there was no point in risking another crash for a slightly better position,” Kosmala explained.

 

Novo Nordisk close to mountains jersey in Croatia

Team Novo Nordisk’s Kevin de Mesmaeker ensured a good showing for the Changing Diabetes® jersey on stage 2 of the Tour of Croatia, featuring in the day’s six-man breakaway. The escapees pulled away soon after the start in picturesque Plitvička Jezera and gained a gap of more than 4:30 before being reeled in with less than 40km to go before the finish in Split.

 

“I really went for the Mountains jersey today,” said de Mesmaeker, who took first and second on the race’s two categorized climbs and finished second overall on the day behind Nicola Boem (Bardiani – CSF). “I ended with the same points as the leader, but since he took the second climb, he won the jersey.”

 

As the race approached its final kilometers, a crash split the peloton, and only Team Novo Nordisk’s Charles Planet (FRA) was able to remain with the lead group and represent the squad. Planet went on to finish 31st behind stage winner Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data).