The second stage of the Criterium du Dauphinè (Le Bourget du Lac-Villars les Dombes 173 km) did not end up as another missed opportunity for the sprinters after Kennaugh had surprised them yesterday.

This time the bunch chased the breakaway (Quemeneur, Teklehaimanot and Courteille) with perfect timing and when the race was back together, the sprint ’ teams started to prepare for the sprint.

Sacha Modolo got into the front position on the left side of the road, following Pozzato’s wheel, and he was just behind the MTN-Qhubeka’s lead-out train with Farrar, van Rensburg and Boasson Hagen when the Norwegian athlete began a long sprint. However, the LAMPRE-MERIDA rider could not prevent Bouhanni from passing him and had to settle for third.

In the overall classification, Modolo is 2nd, 2 seconds behind Kennaugh.

“I thank my team because I received perfect support," Sacha Modolo explained. "My teammates helped me in getting on the wheel of the MTN-Qhubeka lead-out train, but Bouhanni was in a better position where he did not face the headwind so he could exploit this advantage to obtain the victory.

"There was a headwind at the end. Bouhanni managed to take Boasson Hagen's wheel and I didn't because I got pushed towards the barriers. I remained blocked while Bouhanni made the best of the last 100 metres.

"I feel tired after the Giro. I've been racing since January. I rode the Tour of Turkey, I went home for a day, I rode the Giro and five days later I came to the Dauphiné. I'm a bit cooked."