Van Mechelen Takes Third on Stage 2 of Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
# Van Mechelen Clinches Third in Thrilling Stage 2 at Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Bahrain Victorious showcased their strength once again at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes as 22-year-old Belgian rider Vlad Van Mechelen sprinted to a commendable third place during Stage 2, spanning 237.3 km from Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux to Le Puy-en-Velay. The stage, marked as the longest of the eight-day French race, featured five classified climbs and an exhausting elevation gain of 3,685 meters, providing an ideal battleground for attackers.
A group of ten riders, including Van Mechelen, formed a decisive breakaway early in the stage, building a lead of up to six minutes. The team of race leader Alex Baudin from EF Education-EasyPost maintained control of the gap to safeguard their position in the general classification.
The action intensified with 46 kilometers to go, as Veistroffer (Lotto Intermarché) launched an attack alongside Braz Afonso (Groupama-FDJ). Despite Afonso’s attempts to make a solo break, Van Mechelen remained alert within a group of five from the original breakaway and successfully joined the leading trio alongside Garcia Pierna (Movistar) and Afonso. Together, they fought to maintain a slim edge for approximately six kilometers.
The race turned decisive on the final classified climb, about ten kilometers from the finish. Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility) surged ahead, sealing his victory. Van Mechelen, however, sprinted fiercely to clinch third place, finishing 41 seconds behind the winner, with Henri-François Renard (Team Picnic PostNL) taking second.
Reflecting on his experience, Van Mechelen stated, “It was a really hard day. To be honest, I regretted choosing this stage for the breakaway at some points because it was incredibly long and we spent almost the entire day out front… Maybe second place was possible today, but I don’t think much more was. I’m happy with how my shape is progressing after coming back from the injury, and I hope this is only the beginning.”
Bahrain Victorious Sports Director Michal Gołaś acknowledged the team’s strong performance, stating, “We are happy with Vlad’s third place… He followed the right moves and was fully in contention. On the last climb he missed a little bit, but overall he was in the game and delivered a very strong performance.”
As the team looks ahead, Stage 3 promises to be an exciting challenge, featuring a 28.4-kilometer team time trial around Perreux, potentially reshaping the general classification.
