van der Poel retains the leader jersey in Girot

- I had taken this position before starting.

I did a very good pace race, says Mathieu according to Reuters after the second stage in the three-week classic.

He was three seconds behind the stage winner Simon Yates who had 11.50 on the 9.2 km in central Budapest where there was a finish slightly uphill on the cobblestones.

- It is clearly my best tempo victory.

I am of course very happy because it came a little unexpectedly, says Yates after his fifth stage victory in Girot.

Ends the stay in Hungary on Sunday

Ahead of Sunday's third stage, which will be the last in Hungary before continuing to Italy, van der Poel leads by eleven seconds ahead of Yates.

The sprinters are expected to make up on Sunday. 

The only Swedish participant Tobias Ludvigsson was 44th on today's stage - 37 seconds behind Yates.