The first climbs in the Jura Massif and a high pace full of alternatives mark the second stage in l’Ain

33º Tour de l´Ain
Stage 2: Lagnieu – Saint-Vulbas (136 km)

A short day in terms of mileage, but complicated in terms of orography. The foothills of the Jura provided the backdrop for a second stage in which many riders faced the final chain of the Col d’Ordonnaz and the Col de Portes. This was a symptomatic sign of things to come, with the day’s breakaway being wiped out before reaching the hot point of the proposed journey.

Five riders would stand out with a twenty-second lead, in the last two kilometres they would be overtaken from behind by a sixth, the eventual winner of the stage and new provisional leader of the race: the German Georg Zimmermann. Mark Christian (30th) and Luca Wackermman (38th), in a second chasing group 1’44” behind, were the first riders of the team at the finish.

This Saturday, the Tour de l’Ain comes to its conclusion with a demanding stage, even shorter than the previous one, but with a broken route with the Col de Mentheres, with seven very demanding kilometres on the Confort slope, and the subsequent uphill terrain to the finish in the village and winter sports centre of Lélex. Luca Wackermann, 28th at 1’54”, will start as the team’s best rider overall.

Edward Ravasi, 56th at the finish: “Friday was a very explosive day, we rode in blocks all day. In my case, I didn’t recover the first part of the race, maybe because it’s my first competition in a while. On the last climb I gave everything I had to be as far ahead as possible until the end. This Saturday’s stage will be a better one for me and I’ll try to perform well”.

Sergio García, 63rd: “At the beginning of the stage I was feeling very good, I was hanging on in the group without any major difficulty. Halfway through the race, around kilometre 65 approximately, I started to sweat a lot. I was dehydrating very quickly. I went down to the car to get water for my companions and myself, but the bad feelings continued and I had to drop back on the penultimate climb. In the end, whenever I have a day like that, the day after is much better. I hope that this Saturday will be the same, that we can get out of this streak and give it our all. I have full confidence in myself, because physically I’m in good shape”.

[ Elise Chauveau / Tour de l’Ain (1)]