Stage 2 from Škofja Loka to Kočevje (182 km) concluded in a sprint from a reduced field of 50 riders with Pier Paolo De Negri (Nippo-Vini Fantini) taking the sprint win ahead of Antonio Parrinello (d’Amico-Bottecchia) and Simone Ponzi (Southeast), making for an all Italian podium on stage 2.

Team Katusha’s Sven Erik Bystrøm took 13th on the stage and moved into seventh place on the general classification. The GC is currently led by Artem Ovechkin (RusVelo), followed by Salvatore Puccio (Team Sky), Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) and Team Katusha’s Vladimir Isaychev in fourth.

“The 1st category climb just before the two local laps split the peloton. We were well represented in the front with four Katusha riders: Bystrøm, Isaychev, Silin and Vorganov. We had no real sprinters, so we decided to let Isaychev attack, but in the hectic final it was hard to get away,” said team director Claudio Cozzi.

Stage 3 on Saturday begins in Dobrovnik and ends in Trije Kralji at 178,5 km.