After a fourth place in the opening stage, Team Giant-Shimano were hoping to do even better with sprinter Jonas Ahlstrand in stage 2. However, a failed lead-out in the hectic finale meant that the Swede could only manage 8th.

After finishing fourth in yesterday´s opening stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour, Team Giant-Shimano´s Swedish sprinter Jonas Ahlstrand once again came home in the top 10, today in eighth place.

The stage was won by race leader, Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma – Quickstep) whereas Ahlstrand and his lead out lost each other in the run in resulting in too much energy lost in the wind moving up and then a sprint from a way back.

“Everything went well during the stage with the team staying calm and keeping Jonas, Tom [Dumoulin] and Dries [Devenyns] out of trouble but when the groups came back together they lost each other and were on the back foot in the run in,” confirmed Team Giant-Shimano coach Aike Visbeek.

“They got split up in the final four kilometres and had to move up in the wind which cost a lot of energy. Dries managed to bring Jonas through late on but it was too much ground to make up and Jonas had to sprint from quite a way back behind the lead-outs at the front.

“The good points though are that the guys are feeling strong and the intentions were right today but it just didn´t work out on the stage. Tomorrow is another focus with the individual time trial where Dries and Tom Dumoulin will go for it.”