André Greipel won the second stage of the Ster ZLM Toer, which finished in Rosmalen. The German beat Edward Theuns and Danny van Poppel in a sprint of a reduced peloton.

Five Dutch riders animated the stage with a long breakaway: van Zandbeek, Brusselman, Hamelink, Beukeboom and Vingerling. With a maximal advantage of 5’40” the peloton controlled the situation. At the start of the local circuit Adam Hansen was involved in one of many crashes. The Australian had to abandon the race.

Because of the wind the peloton split and three groups were formed. In the first echelon of 37 riders five Lotto Soudal riders were present: Bak, Debusschere, Greipel, Henderson and Sieberg. The second and third group couldn’t come back anymore and after catching the escapees Greipel sprinted to his seventh victory of the season. Because of his good prologue and the bonus seconds Greipel is the new GC leader.

“Our team was very attentive," Greipel said. We were there on the right moment and were part of the decisive move. With five riders in the first group we were represented very well. Without the crashes Dennis Vanendert and Sean De Bie might have been in that group as well.

"I have to congratulate the guys of Topsport Vlaanderen, the whole team was part of the first group and they really rode to win. But of course we have the experience in this kind of situations.

“This race is perfect to get in the rhythm and test some automatisms before the Tour. I can only be satisfied that we immediately take a stage win. We’ll try to reach the finish safely the next days and maybe there will be new opportunities. The course of the third stage, where Greg Henderson won last year, is harder, but we’ll look at it day by day.

"This is not just a victory for the sprinter but for the whole team. Today the team made ​​the difference. It was the perfect lead-out, a long and very fast sprint, so fast that I had to ask them to slow down. I am very happy with this victory. I am pleased with my form and is on track for the Tour."

45 kilometres before the finish line Adam Hansen crashed. He went to the hospital of Herentals immediately. Hansen has strained the ligaments between the right collarbone and shoulder, and he has a bruised wrist. In a few days he can start training again.

In the Tour de Suisse the stage ended with a bunch sprint. Peter Sagan was the fastest, there was a nice second place for Greipel's teammate Jürgen Roelandts, Alexander Kristoff was third.