"A somewhat more hectic day..." - Visma prepared to tackle explosive day in Catalunya where Jonas Vingegaard may be attacked

Stage 2 of the Volta a Catalunya was a day for the sprinters but perhaps because of that reason, the risks for Jonas Vingegaard and Team Visma | Lease a Bike were higher. The Dutch team stayed safe and are now gearing up towards several consecutive days of hard racing where in each and every one of them the overall classification may be turned on its head.

"I think we had a relatively quiet day. Five riders broke away and from that moment on we were able to save energy," Visma DS Marc Reef said in a press release issued by the team. "It was important to be at the front in the final, because the last 27 kilometers were mainly downhill. We wanted to stay out of trouble and the guys did a brilliant job. Ultimately, we entered the final three kilometers in a good way."

It was a saved day for Visma who has a modest team for the flat terrain present in Catalunya as the race almost exclusively features days for the climbers and puncheurs. Vingegaard hit the wind himself on day 1 to stay safe in the dangerous final descent; whilst today he looked to stay close to the front in order to avoid a potential mass crash in the tense final kilometers of the stage.

With the first two days out of the way, an explosive stage tomorrow may see a different set of contenders, specially if the race explodes in the difficult climbs early in the day. Visma have to stay very attentive against Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and UAE Team Emirates - XRG, each having several men who can go on the attack and put pressure on the Dane.

"That’s partly down to the start, as there are two tough climbs in the early stages. In addition, we’ll need to be alert if the wind comes into play in the final stretch. I expect a somewhat more hectic day tomorrow," Reef concluded.