The Tour de Taiwan stage two in Taoyuan was a thrilling and challenging 120.59km road race with a mountain-top finish.
The weather conditions were not ideal for the best Asian rider Thanakhan Chaiyasombat of the Thailand National Team who still retain his blue jersey after stage two, with strong winds and slightly rainy weather, and the temperature was 12 degrees Celsius.
The race kicked off with a promising start, with riders pushing hard from the very beginning to gain a lead.
Jack Aitken from ST George Continental Cycling Team broke away with Shao Hsuan Lu (Chinese Taipei) and Hoonmin Jun (Seoul Cycling Team) just 30km into the race and held a strong lead of 3 mins until the 117km mark.
However, with only 3km left to go, the peloton caught up with Aitken, making for an exciting bunch sprint finish
It is worth noting that Aitkens impressive breakaway efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was awarded both the Mountain General Classification (Polka-dot Jersey) and the Combativity Award, highlighting his tenacity and skill on the bike.
At the mountain-top bunch sprint, Jordi Lopez Caravaca from Equipo Kern Pharma emerged as the stage winner, marking his first professional race win.
At the post-race press conference Lopez Caravaca said: “it’s an incredible feeling to secure my first professional victory here in Taiwan. The mountain-top finish was tough, but I was determined to push through and give it my all. I’m thrilled to have come out on top and to have experienced such a warm welcome in this beautiful country.ā
The stage results were as follows: Lopez Caravaca took the top spot with a time of 2:52:16, followed closely by Raymond Kreder from JCL Team Ukyo and Benjamin Prades Reverter from the same team, who finished in second and third place, respectively.
The overall ranking (yellow jersey), Raymond Kreder took the lead in the GC, closely followed by Lopez Caravaca, just two seconds behind. Last year’s GC winner Benjamin Dyball is currently sitting in 37th place, 15 seconds behind the leader.
Overall, the Tour de Taiwan stage two in Taoyuan proved to be a challenging and exciting race, with riders pushing their limits and battling tough weather conditions to come out on top.
TOUR de TAIWAN 2023
STAGE RESULTS
- LOPEZ CARAVACA Jordi (Equipo Kern Pharma) 2:52:16
- KREDER Raymond (JCL Team Ukyo) s.t.
- PRADES REVERTER Benjami (JCL Team Ukyo) s.t.
Individual General Classification by Time (Yellow Jersey): KREDER Raymond (JCL Team UKYO)
General Individual Classification on Points (Green Jersey): EEFTING-BLOEM Roy (Maloja Pushbikers)
The Mountain General Classification (Polka-dot Jersey): AITKEN Jack (ST George Continental Cycling Team)
Best Asian Rider Classification (Blue Jersey): CHAIYASOMBAT Thanakhan (Thailand National Team)
