Yorkshire Young Guns-a-Blazing
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Apr 30, 2016 – Team Sky’s Danny van Poppel won stage two of the Tour de Yorkshire as the Dutchman edged to the front of a bunch sprint in Doncaster on Saturday. Van Poppel, 22, recorded his first win in Sky colours as he edged out stage one winner Dylan Groenewegen of LottoNL-Jumbo on the line when the 136.5km stage from Otley came down to the final few metres.
AFP/Kåre Dehlie Thorstad
Four remaining riders from the early break – Josh Edmondson (NFTO), Nicolas Edet (Cofidis), Stijn Steels (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) and Michael Morkov (Katusha) – were swallowed up with 10km left, and the lead-out trains began to battle for position. It was still wide open as they tore down the final straight, with Van Poppel taking it by inches from Groenewegen and Giant-Alpecin’s Nikias Ardnt.
Christopher Opie of One Pro Cycling was the first Briton home in fourth place just behind. With bonus seconds factored in, Groenewegen continues to lead the race overall, with Van Poppel second, six seconds back, and Arndt eight seconds back head of the third and final stage from Middlesbrough to Whitby on Sunday.
Race organizers will be hoping the finale is witnessed by a wider audience after Saturday’s dramatic finish was seen only by fans who ventured to the course as television coverage was lost for almost the entire day due to a relay plane being grounded with technical difficulties.