Israel-Premier Tech dominated once again on stage 2 of the Tour de Taiwan, as they finished first and third with Mason Hollyman and Joseph Blackmore respectively on the hilltop finish to Jiaobanshan Park.
Having already led the race through Itamar Einhorn at the start of the day after his victory on the opening stage, the team controlled the race in the finale, with several attacks from Blackmore before Hollyman made the decisive move in the final kilometres.
Hollyman was joined by Iván Cobo from Equipo Kern Pharma, who he then outsprinted to take the victory. Blackmore then won the sprint in the group behind, with Portuguese rider Daniel Lima also picking up a strong result for the team in fifth place.
In an interview with his team after the stage, Hollyman was very complimentary of his teammates, as he said that “everyone was just on fire. Viggo Moore led the charge all day, maintaining his position until the end. He was undoubtedly the man of the match today. Joe dominated the last climb with constant attacks, Daniel Lima ensured our prominent placement, and Itamar held strong until the end. The team couldn’t have asked for more”.
On his compatriot Blackmore, Hollyman went on to say that “it’s reassuring to have Joe in such great form, giving us multiple strategies to play. Managing a race with five-rider teams is challenging, but having two teammates contenders capable of responding to attacks and securing wins is a significant advantage”.
Hollyman is a graduate of the Israel Cycling Academy, Israel-Premier Tech’s Continental development team that Blackmore is currently a part of. However, it is expected that Blackmore will be promoted to the WorldTour team soon, as he has already taken the overall victory at the Tour du Rwanda this season and is currently showing some really strong form.
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