Deutschland Tour 2024 Stage 2

August 23, 2024 Riders left Heilbronn on their way to Schwabisch Gmund via an undulating route and two circuits around the finishing town. Dawit Yemane of Bike Aid, Dario Igor Belletta of Visma-Lease a Bike, and Miguel Heidemann of the German National Team got up the road early on and had a gap of 1 minute 30 seconds. Mauro Brenner of Lotto-Kern Haus and Bjorn Koerdt of DSM-Firmenich bridged to the front on the Obergroningen to make five at the front with 80KM to go. The peloton sped up as they approached the 3KM, 8% climb of the Lauterburg. Like yesterday, Visma-Lease a Bike were the aggressors on the climb and they got Jørgen Nordhagen away with Kevin Vermaerke of DSM-Firmenich, Toms Skujiņš of Lidl-Trek, and Archie Ryan of EF-Education EasyPost in the leading group that went over the top first at 42KM to go. Skujiņš stopped riding because Lidl-Trek had their fast men back in the peloton. Redbull-Bora Hansgrohe were doing the work in the peloton, bringing the gap down from 40 seconds to just 15 seconds with 24KM to go. The peloton seemed to explode on the small rise that crested 1.5KM from the finish line as they started the first of two local laps. A group of 8 joined the front to make 12 with a smaller chasing group at 10 seconds and the peloton roughly 30 seconds behind. At 16KM to go, the front groups came together to make 18 riders but the situation was constantly changing. Alpecin-Deceuninck buried themselves and brought the peloton back to the front group right was they hit the final climb with 2.5KM to go. Ryan lit up the climb, prying out only Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek and Tobias Johannessen of Uno-X Mobility. Pedersen took the bonus seconds at the top and the trio worked hard until 1KM to when Pedersen was put on the front, Johannessen and Ryan refused to come through. Pedersen started the sprint at 200M to go. It was a drag race with Johannessen but Pedersen got the win by half a wheel to make it three for three on stage wins for Lidl-Trek. Ryan hung on for third. Pedersen now leads the race overall by 12 seconds on Johannessen with Ethan Hayter in third place, 21 seconds behind.