Nearly 2,500 meters of elevation gain could have played into the hands of the classics specialists, but the second stage of the Peace Race U23 was once again claimed in a sprint by Danish rider Mads Landbo. Following his victory in the opening stage, Landbo succeeded again on the 155-kilometer route from Uničov to Rýmařov. He will wear the leader's yellow jersey into the weekend program, having extended his overall lead to 11 seconds ahead of Germany's Bruno Kessler from the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. The top Czech rider was Václav Ježek in fifth place, which propelled him to fourth in the general classification.
"On the final climb before the finish, it was very difficult to maintain position; the pace was brutal. Fortunately, my teammates helped me get back to the front so I could launch my sprint. But it was a great finish, I must say. We’ll see what happens next, but maybe I'll add another victory," smiled the 21-year-old Danish sprinter at the finish line.
A total of 121 riders took the start for the second stage from Masaryk Square in Uničov. Slovak rider Marcel Gladek was already missing from the start list, having withdrawn from the race after Thursday's opening stage.
Just like on the first day, the racing was highly active right from the opening kilometers. The peloton faced repeated breakaway attempts practically all day, but none of the moves lasted long. The Danish national team was particularly active, carefully controlling the development of the stage for the benefit of the race leader.
The first significant moment came before the intermediate sprint in Šternberk, where the Danes, along with the Czech continental team Kasper crypto4me, dictated the pace. Václav Ježek was the fastest at the sprint and then continued an attacking ride, but his efforts did not lead to a successful breakaway either.
The first truly successful move of the day was made by Germany's Paul Morten Schneider and Sweden's Vilgot Reinhold. The duo gradually built an advantage of over two minutes, forcing the Danish team defending the yellow jersey to react once again.
The escapees managed to cross the first mountain prime in the Libavá military area, where Reinhold was fastest ahead of Schneider. Slovak rider Samuel Novák secured another two points for the King of the Mountains competition here, consolidating his lead in the classification. Shortly shortly after, however, the peloton caught both breakaway riders.
Another offensive was launched by Norwegian rider Håkon Eiksund Øksnes, who went on a solo breakaway. He built a lead of up to 75 seconds, but once again, the peloton allowed no major drama and swallowed up the Norwegian rider.
The second mountain prime in Tvrdkov was already contested within a compact bunch, and it became clear that the stage would ultimately be decided on the final climb in Rýmařov. Even there, the sprinters did not lose contact with the front of the race, and on the finishing straight, Mads Landbo showcased his speed once more, securing his second consecutive stage victory. Bruno Kessler finished second, while Spain's Eñaut Urkaregi crossed the line in third.
Václav Ježek, who crossed the line in fifth, was somewhat frustrated at the finish. "Even on the last crest before the finish, we were a six-member group, but unfortunately, the pace stopped. I then hooked onto the guys from Team Jayco, but 150 meters from the line they boxed me in. I had to hit the brakes, accelerate again, and in the end, it’s a fifth place. I’m disappointed," said the 21-year-old rider, hiding no dissatisfaction despite Friday's result catapulting him up 69 places in the overall standings to fourth position.
The race continues on Saturday with its third chapter—the queen stage starting in Zábřeh. The riders face nearly 3,000 meters of elevation gain, featuring a final climb up to the upper reservoir of the Dlouhé Stráně pumped-storage hydro power plant, situated at 1,324 meters above sea level.
Photo: Jan Brychta, Markéta Navrátilová
