The team followed up on their impressive result from stage 1 of the Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc by taking control of the field on stage 2 and delivering Gavin Mannion to a podium finish. The Colorado resident handily dispatched a select group of climbers to win the sprint for second atop the Valfréjus mountaintop finish, 15 seconds behind lone leader Viktor Verschaeve (Lotto-Soudal U23).
“The guys did a huge amount of work getting bottles for me and riding the front,” said Mannion. “Nate pulled for most of the Col de Madeleine and Zuke came back in the valley before the last climb to lend a hand. It’s a shame that we couldn’t bring back the solo breakaway but it was an excellent showing by the team.”
The result catapulted Mannion up the general classification and into third with three stages remaining.
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Stage 2 results
1 VERSCHAEVE Viktor Lotto – Soudal U23 2:51:19
2 MANNION Gavin Rally Cycling +0:15
3 VAN GILS Maxim Lotto – Soudal U23 ”
4 ROLLAND Pierre B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b KTM ”
5 CEPEDA Jefferson Alexander Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec ”
6 THALMANN Roland Team Vorarlberg Santic +0:21
7 FLÓREZ Miguel Eduardo Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec ”
8 MORENO Adrià Velo Club Villefranche Beaujolais ”
9 GUERIN Alexis Team Vorarlberg Santic +0:23
10 MONIQUET Sylvain Equipe continentale Groupama-FDJ ”
General classification after stage 2
1 CHAMPION Thomas Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme 5:45:54
2 SCHNEITER Joab Swiss Racing Academy +1:14
3 MANNION Gavin Rally Cycling 2:55
4 CEPEDA Jefferson Alexander Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec 2:59
5 ROLLAND Pierre B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b KTM 3:06
6 THALMANN Roland Team Vorarlberg Santic 3:12
7 GUERIN Alexis Team Vorarlberg Santic 3:14
8 VERSCHAEVE Viktor Lotto – Soudal U23 3:26
9 BONNAMOUR Franck Team Arkéa Samsic 3:29
10 MUÑOZ Daniel Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec “