Saint-Imier (Switzerland) (AFP)
The Italian Sonny Colbrelli won in the sprint during the 2nd stage of the Tour de Romandie on Thursday, settling a small group of survivors of the six climbs of the day.
The Bahrain team sprinter-puncher narrowly edged New Zealander Patrick Bevin.
The Swiss Marc Hirschi, discreet this season after a thunderous year 2020, completes the podium of the stage.
Often placed rarely a winner, like his second place the day before behind Peter Sagan, Colbrelli signed his first victory of the season after 165 kilometers of hilly terrain between La Neuveville and Saint-Imier.
"Yesterday was for Sagan, today it worked for me and I'm happy, relished the 30-year-old. On the last climb, I managed to hang on."
Bevin, third the day before in Martigny, took advantage of the new bonuses offered by his second place on Thursday to climb to second place in the general classification, still dominated by the Australian Rohan Dennis and the Ineos team.
Geraint Thomas, winner of the 2018 Tour, and Richie Porte, on the 2020 Grande Boucle podium, remain nine seconds behind their teammate Dennis but, overtaken by Bevin, drop down one row, to third and fourth places.
Their ex-leader Chris Froome, who moved to Israel Start-Up Nation, failed to snag the group of 36 runners who vied for victory.
The four-time winner of the Tour let go in the Col de la Vue des Alpes (7.8 km at 6.8%), whose summit was located 17 kilometers from the finish, and gave up 43 seconds.
The 3rd stage on Friday, a loop starting and finishing at Estavayer, on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel, offers favorable terrain for puncheurs.
The rise of the Granges, a hill of less than three kilometers, located nine kilometers from the line, has everything from the launching pad for Marc Hirschi, in search of confidence on his Swiss lands.
© 2021 AFP