3 years ago by Tom Owen

Joyce snatches seventh in Duitama

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Sprinter delivers on first road stage, GC hopes stay alive in Tour Colombia 2.1

Following the stage 1 team time trial, director Jonas Carney said the plan for stage two was to set up Colin Joyce for a field sprint, and that’s exactly what the team did. Joyce was piloted through the blisteringly fast final kilometers by his teammates, before mixing it up with the WorldTour leadout trains. Juan Sebastian Molano, the hotly-tipped local rider on UAE Team Emirates, won the sprint, with Joyce securing seventh.

DATE |  2.12.20
DISTANCE |  152.4 km
Roster
Route

Nothing too technical with a steady ride out to Duitama, through the city of Sogamoso – where there were huge crowds out to see the peloton – and back to Duitama again for the finale.

Terrain

Flat, flat and more flat. The peloton had a clear view of the Andes Mountains which served as a constant reminder of what’s to come.

Weather

Guess, what? Sunshine again! Temperatures climbed to 80°F making hydration a major priority throughout the day.

Quote of the day

“It felt nice to be in the mix and I'm really proud of the way the team rode. We're showing that we’re capable of riding head-to-head with the world’s best teams, so that's always a positive. Hopefully, we can keep making an impact on the race in the coming stages!”

– Colin Joyce
DECISIVE MOMENTS

- With one eye on the tougher stages to come, Rally Cycling ignored early attacks and passed on breakaway opportunities.

- The escape splintered 70 km from the finish, leaving just three riders in the lead and their chances at success dwindling.

- Team domestiques pilot Joyce into position. Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) crosses just ahead of Alvaro Hodeg (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) with Joyce seventh.

- As the mercury crept toward the 80°F mark, the man at the finish in a full tiger suit (official mascot of the race) began to regret taking the job.

LUIS BARBOSA gallery
lay of the land

There are no pure sprint stages remaining, with heavy climbing on the menu for the rest of the week. The team is ready to attack their way into some breakaways, but tomorrow’s flattish finish could suit Colin again – with a chance of a reduced peloton coming to the line after seven climbs in the first part of the stage. The team is well-placed for a top ten in the overall, with Gavin Mannion and Kyle Murphy riding high.

Stage 2 results

1 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates 3:12:09
2 Alvaro Jose Hodeg Chagui (Col) Deceuninck-Quickstep
3 Itamar Einhorn (Isr) Israel Start-Up Nation
4 Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
5 Edwin Alcibiades Avila Vanegas (Col) Israel Cycling Academy
6 Bryan Steve Gomez Peñaloza (Col) Equipo Continental Supergiros
7 Colin Joyce (USA) Rally Cycling
8 Julian David Molano (Col) Colombia-Andina
9 Marco Benfatto (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane
10 Felix Alejandro Baron Castillo (Col) Team Illuminate

In other news

Team loses Britton ahead of mountain test

Team fights for TTT podium in Colombia