Tinkoff-Saxo lacked the wind and manpower to create the selection needed to flip the GC. Van Genechten took the win after a bunch sprint on stage 2, while Nikolay Trusov finished 19th as best placed Tinkoff-Saxo rider. Pavel Brutt and stagiaire Antwan Tolhoek, who had suffered on stage 1 after falling ill with food poisoning, showed signs of improvement but still had to fight their way through the stage.

In the wake of stage 2, team sports director Lars Michaelsen tells that the stage didn’t offer conditions to attack in an effort to improve Manuele Boaro’s 11th place in the GC.

“We didn’t get any notable result. There wasn’t enough wind and bike race in order for us to make any decisive moves. We are still affected by the fact that we have two sick riders and with five ready and able men left, it’s difficult to deploy the manpower and tactics needed to split the bunch. It was limited what we could do and Trusov didn’t quite have it today in the final sprint unlike yesterday, where he was 4th”, says Lars Michaelsen after the 192.2km stage from the iconic Velodrome in Roubaix to Poperinge.

“Pavel Brutt and Antwan Tolhoek still had to fight, as the food-poisoning, we expect they had, has cost some energy. But they are slowly getting better and they managed to finish the stage today. It’s important as we still have some one-day races next week, where they are scheduled to participate. Tomorrow, we face a criterium-like stage with a circuit. It will be hectic, but the weather forecast unfortunately project little to no wind, so it will once again be difficult to create the big selection”, finishes Lars Michaelsen.