Stage 2: Dordrecht to Rotterdam (70 km)
Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Streaming: 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 Discovery+/Eurosport; 🇺🇸 Peacock; 🇦🇺 SBS; 🇨🇦 FloBikes
Stage start: 10:00 CEST
Estimated finish time: 11:35 CEST
Stage type: Flat
Summary: A short stage offers another chance for the sprinters, but with the unconventional day, it’s possible teams could mess up their timing near the end (allowing a gutsy rider to sneak in a stage victory).
The second stage is short at 70 km but that is because, in order to keep the race at eight stages, the organizers have opted for a double day on Tuesday. That means, the 70 km flat stage will take place in the morning and a short time trial will take place later in the day. It’s normal for this to happen at lower-level races but is extremely uncommon at a WorldTour level event.
The women will start in Dordrecht southeast-ish of Rotterdam and ride back to Rotterdam (where the ITT is later). It’s even flatter than the previous stage, and even more likely to end in a sprint because of the length of the day. There is very little room for a break to go, but because it’s such an odd day, there is a possibility teams will get their timing wrong for the sprinters to come to the line first.
The final of the second stage is pretty technical. The final 5 km is in Rotterdam and includes a tricky clockwise, five-turn, number before the road straightens out for the final 1 km.
My pick: Marianne Vos will want to win a Dutch stage before the race moves on to Belgium.
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