Merlier sprints to stage two victory at Giro d'Italia
Sunday, 9 May 2021
Belgium’s Tim Merlier earned the first sprint victory of the 2021 Giro d'Italia after producing the fastest finish on stage two in Novara.
The 179-kilometre stage from Stupinigi to Novara began with riders holding a minute’s silence on the 10th anniversary of the death of Wouter Weylandt, who died after a crash at the race.
An early breakaway group were allowed to move clear by the peloton, with Italy’s Filippo Tagliani and Umberto Marengo spending most of the stage in the lead.
The duo were caught within the final 20km as sprinters’ teams began eyeing the finish in Novara.