Dutch champion Dylan Groenewegen was less than a wheel’s length from victory on stage two of the Tour de Hongrie, as he achieved a second podium finish in as many days.
The 31-year-old Dutchman finished runner-up behind his compatriot Danny van Poppel, after taking third on the opening day of the race.
Five riders marked the break of the day on the 177.5km second stage of the Tour de Hongrie. They gained a maximum lead of about four minutes on the peloton, before a massive crash occurred with 123km to go. Fortunately, Team Jayco AlUla’s riders suffered no significant damage in the process.
After just two categorised climbs of the day, the second stage continued mainly on flat roads with Team Jayco AlUla controlling the race. It helped to ensure that the five-man breakaway was caught in good time.
The riders kept Groenewegen safe in the peloton and put him in a strong position for the sprint with a perfect lead-out. Groenewegen pilled on the power inside the final 500 metres, with only Van Poppel able to overhaul him in the dying moments before the line.
Dylan Groenewegen
“Everything today went according to the plan we had discussed beforehand. Only someone else was a little bit faster in the bunch sprint. As a team, we can be very proud of the way we rode today. It’s just a matter of time before the victory will follow.”
Tristan Hoffman (Sport Director)
“There was quite a lot of wind and therefore the race was somewhat nervous. That was also reflected in the crash involving about 60 riders in the peloton. Fortunately for our team, the damage was not too bad and all the riders came back together afterwards. In the last 25km, we were alert to the wind that could possibly play a role.
Our focus in the finale was on the chicane at one and half kilometres from the finish. As a team we wanted to be the first to pass that, which we succeeded in. We saw a superb lead-out. Only Van Poppel is in shape and he just passed Dylan. It was very close and I’m especially happy with the way everyone performed their tasks.”
Tour de Hongrie 2025 stage 2 results
1. Danny van Poppel 3:59:46
2. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla) st
Overall standings after stage 2
1. Danny van Poppel 8:53:44
2. János Pelikán +00:08
3. Dylan Groenewegen +00:10
Photo: Sprint Cycling
