Lorena Wiebes made it two wins from two at the 2026 Tour of Chongming Island, narrowly beating Lara Gillespie in a much tighter sprint than on the opening stage. Maggie Coles-Lyster took third for Human Powered Health, with Clara Copponi fourth after another flat stage ended in a bunch finish at Chongming New City Park.
The 129.4km second stage from Changxing to Chongming again offered little climbing, but it was far more aggressive than Stage 1. Teams repeatedly tried to break up Team SD Worx-Protime’s control, particularly through the final 50 kilometres, before Wiebes was forced to find her own way through a chaotic final kilometre.
How it unfolded
The race remained together for much of the opening half, but the pattern changed as the peloton moved into the final 50km. With Wiebes already wearing the leader’s jersey after winning Stage 1, rival teams had little reason to make another straightforward sprint easy for SD Worx-Protime.
Attacks began to come regularly as the pace increased. Liv AlUla Jayco were among the teams trying to make the race harder, while UAE Team L’IMAD and Lidl-Trek also looked for alternatives to simply waiting for another sprint against Wiebes.
The most dangerous move formed inside the final 30km. Karlijn Swinkels, Femke Markus, Femke Gerritse, Marine Lenehan, Josie Talbot and Jente Koops established a six-rider group with a small advantage over the peloton. It was a useful combination because SD Worx-Protime had two riders represented, reducing the need for Wiebes’ team to chase, while several rival sprint teams also had a rider up the road.
The gap was never allowed to grow far beyond a handful of seconds. The peloton remained committed behind and the move was brought back before the final 15km, leaving the bunch together again for the approach to Chongming New City Park.
Human Powered Health then moved into a strong position for the finale. Marta Jaskulska took responsibility near the front with around two kilometres remaining before Koops and Silvia Zanardi helped move Coles-Lyster and Kathrin Schweinberger towards the final corner. The wide roads encouraged riders to wait before committing, and the pace briefly eased enough to make the final kilometre increasingly crowded.
Wiebes did not receive the clear launch she had enjoyed on Stage 1. She became boxed in as the sprint began and had to force her way into space before accelerating alongside Gillespie. The UAE Team L’IMAD rider matched her deep into the sprint, but Wiebes found enough speed in the final metres to edge ahead at the line.
Gillespie’s second place was a considerable improvement on third the previous day and underlined how close she is to Wiebes on pure speed when the Dutch rider is denied a clean run. Coles-Lyster came through behind them for third after recovering from a disrupted sprint, while Copponi followed in fourth.
Wiebes keeps control of the race
Two stage wins from two leave Wiebes in control of the general classification going into Sunday’s final stage. The time bonuses collected at the finishes are particularly valuable in a race where the terrain offers almost no opportunity to create natural gaps.
Gillespie is now emerging as Wiebes’ closest direct sprint rival. Her second place also keeps UAE Team L’IMAD involved in the fight for the overall podium, while Copponi and Coles-Lyster remain well placed through their consistency across the first two days.
The final stage is another flat day around Chongming, so the basic problem facing Wiebes’ rivals remains unchanged. They can try to use attacks and the exposed roads to avoid another sprint, but if the race comes back together, Wiebes will again start as the rider everyone has to beat.
Tour of Chongming Island 2026 Stage 2 Result
| Pos. | Rider | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorena Wiebes | Team SD Worx-Protime |
| 2 | Lara Gillespie | UAE Team L’IMAD |
| 3 | Maggie Coles-Lyster | Human Powered Health |
| 4 | Clara Copponi | Lidl-Trek |
