Elia Viviani (Team Sky) won stage two of the Three Days of De Panne in Belgium on Wednesday in a close finish with Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep).
Viviani let out a roar as he crossed the line in Koksijde having sprinted past Kittel in the final few metres of the long 211km stage. It's the Italian's second victory of the 2016 season after winning a stage of the Dubai Tour.
Stage one winner and overall leader Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) finished in third to retain his position at the top of the general classification. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) is in second place at five seconds, with Lieuwe Westra (Astana) in third at 10 seconds.
Bert Van Lerberghe in the escape group on stage two of the 2016 Three Days of De Panne
(Image credit: Watson)
The mid-section of the stage featured five tough climbs, including the Kemmelberg, before hitting a flat section and three loops of a finishing circuit. Pim Ligthart (Lotto-Soudal) was the last rider from the day's escape group to be caught by the peloton, setting up a bunch finish.
Having finished fifth on stage one, British rider Luke Rowe (Team Sky) dropped out of the race and was a non-finisher. American Taylor Phinney (BMC) was a non-starter.
Elia Viviani wins stage two of the 2016 Three Days of De Panne
(Image credit: Watson)
After Rowe's withdrawal, the top-placed British rider overall is now Scott Thwaites (Bora-Argon18) in 19th spot.
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The Three Days of De Panne concludes on Thursday with two stages: a short and fast 112km road stage followed by a 14.2km individual time trial. Many of the riders present in the race - including Rowe - will contest the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, April 3.
Results
Three Days of De Panne 2016, stage two: Zottegem to Koksijde, 211km
Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
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