Ruta del Sol 2018: Wout Poels wins at steep hill to take overall lead

Stage 2 leads to a summit finish at Alto de Allanadas, a double digits climb with its steepest ramps before the summit. That's where the race ignites. Wout Poels attacks from a select group with 50 metres left to power to the stage win and leader's jersey. Luis León Sánchez and Tim Wellens are 2 seconds down on him. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2nd stage 2018 Ruta del Sol

1. Wout Poels (nld)
2. Luis León Sánchez (spa) + 0.02
3. Tim Wellens (bel) s.t.
4. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.04
5. Jakob Fuglsang (den) s.t.
6. Marc Soler (spa) + 0.17
7. Chris Froome (gbr) + + 0.27
8. Mikel Bizkarra (spa) + 0.34
9. Amaro Antunes (por) + 0.38
10. Jelle Vanendert (bel) s.t.

GC after 2nd stage
1. Wout Poels (nld)
2. Luis León Sánchez (spa) + 0.02
3. Tim Wellens (bel) s.t.
4. Mikel Landa (spa) + 0.04
5. Jakob Fuglsang (den) s.t.
6. Marc Soler (spa) + 0.17
7. Chris Froome (gbr) + + 0.27
8. Mikel Bizkarra (spa) + 0.34
9. Amaro Antunes (por) + 0.38
10. Jelle Vanendert (bel) s.t.

Race report
A group of nine riders open up a gap in the first 15 kms. Alexis Gougeard, Álvaro Cuadros, Sho Hatsuyama, Przemysław Kasperkiewicz, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Jeroen Meijers, Aaron Werwilst, Enrique Sanz and Diego Rubio race to a lead of more than 7 minutes, but with 55 kms to go the peloton accelerates.

Some 30 kms before the finish Eenkhoorn, Rubio and Gougeard head out together when the gap is down to 3 minutes. Eenkhoorn is dropped with 8 kms to go. The two attackers hit the last climb more than 1 minute ahead of the peloton. Shortly, Rubio goes solo.

Fuglsang is the first to attack from the pack. Landa and Wellens come across, followed by Poels, LL Sánchez and four more riders. No sign of Froome though. The Fuglsang-group gobbles up Rubio before Wellens accelerates from the front group with 1.3 kms to go.

The Belgian distances the chasers before they start clawing back ground on him. Poels reels him in 500 metres before the line with LL Sánchez, Fuglsang and Landa on his wheel. The Dutchman once again kicks hard to distance the other four. Ten metres… twenty metres… LL Sánchez and Tim Wellens go after him, but to no avail. Poels takes the stage win and leader’s jersey, while Chris Froome limits his losses and comes home in seventh place.