Cycling news - Niccolo Bonifazio surges to Stage 2 win, Rui Costa retains GC lead
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ByEurosport
Updated 05/02/2020 at 15:35 GMT
Niccolo Bonifazio (Team Direct Energie) produced a perfectly-timed attack to seal victory on Stage 2 of the Saudi Tour, a 182km jaunt from Sadus Castle to Riyadh.
Niccolo Bonifazio
Image credit: Getty Images
Bonifazio capitalised on some hesitation from Bahrain–McLaren's Mark Cavendish, who recovered from an earlier crash, on the final corner to take the wheel of Cavendish’s team-mate Heinrich Haussler before surging clear to win in 4:32:31.
A bunch sprint had been expected to settle the stage but Haussler’s attack in the final kilometre opened up an unbridgeable gap from the peloton, and when Haussler faded, Italian Bonifazio held off Nacer Bouhanni to add to his palmares.
"I was in third position at the corner with a kilometre to go, and Haussler attacked and Cavendish stopped, so I followed Haussler," said Bonifazio.
"I saw that there was a small gap to the group, so I went full gas to the finish."
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Massive crash in the peloton on Stage 2
Rui Costa finished safely in the bunch to retain the GC lead.
STAGE 2 RESULT
| RIDER | TIME | |
| 1 | Niccolò Bonifazio (Team Total Direct Energie) | 4:32:31 |
| 2 | Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain – McLaren) | 0:02 |
| 3 | Nacer Bouhanni (Team Arkéa Samsic) | " |
| 4 | Timothy Dupont (Circus - Wanty Gobert) | " |
| 5 | Jens Debusschere (B&B Hotels - Vital Concept p/b KTM) | " |
| 6 | Orluis Aular (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) | " |
| 7 | Imerio Cima (Gazprom – RusVelo) | " |
| 8 | August Jensen (Riwal Readynez Cycling Team) | " |
| 9 | Julien Trarieux (NIPPO DELKO One Provence) | " |
| 10 | Youcef Reguigui (Terengganu Inc. TSG Cycling Team) | " |
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