Stage 2 of the Tour of Hellas once again delivered aggressive racing, tactical battles and a dramatic sprint finish after 158 demanding kilometers across the Greek landscape.
The stage started in Karpenisi under cloudy skies before the sun eventually broke through later in the afternoon. From the very beginning, Team Storck – MRW BAU followed a clear tactical approach: stay active throughout the race and make sure to be represented in every dangerous move.
The riders executed this plan perfectly.
Lennard Voege joined a very strong breakaway group that managed to build an advantage of more than four minutes over the peloton. For a long time, the escape group looked capable of fighting for the stage victory and the pressure on the chasing teams continued to grow deep into the finale.
Only in the final 3 kilometers was the breakaway finally reeled back in, setting up another nervous bunch sprint in Larissa.
Inside the chaotic finale, positioning once again became crucial. Dušan Rajović from Solution Tech NIPPO Rali eventually sprinted to victory, while Matthew Walls crossed the line in 10th place after a frustrating final few meters.
Matt spoke openly and honestly after the finish:
“I am far from satisfied with 10th place. I didn’t choose the optimal sprint line and then got boxed in by two riders during the final meters, which definitely cost me a better result.”
Despite the disappointment, Matt also highlighted the strong teamwork throughout the stage:
“The team positioned me really well in the final kilometers and I tried to stay near the front to be ready for the sprint.”
Looking ahead, the focus within Team Storck – MRW BAU now shifts towards the mountain stages and especially towards Edgar Cadena, who will target the upcoming climbing stages.
“Stages 3 and 4 are for Cadena, not for me. I will try to support him as much as possible. There are many climbers here and I’m not one of them. But I’m already looking forward to the final stage because there should be another sprint opportunity there.”
Overall, Stage 2 once again showed the aggressive racing style and strong teamwork of Team Storck – MRW BAU, even if the final result did not fully reflect the effort invested throughout the day.
