Looking to build on yesterday’s fourth place, Team DSM were back in action again today at the Tour de Romandie for the second road stage. On paper it was a more challenging stage than the previous day and the last time the finale was used only a group of 20 or so riders came to fight it out at the line. This year saw some attacks in the beginning of the day before a group of three forged on, and all Team DSM riders remained in the bunch.
As the kilometres ticked by the advantage for those ahead diminished and the pace in the peloton ramped up. On the most challenging and longest climb of the day with around 40 kilometres to go other teams increased the tempo and drastically thinned out the bunch to around only 60 riders and the break was caught. Chris Hamilton did some strong positioning work going onto the next ascent where Oscar Onley followed an early attack before Max Poole followed the next. The flurry of attacks continued with the team rotating well through in terms of who could follow, with Romain Bardet sat in the wheels.
Despite more moves throughout the closing kilometres, no group was able to break the elastic and the stage would be decided in a reduced bunch sprint. Moving up well, Onley brought Bardet forward and protected his wheel with the Team DSM duo both launching their sprints in sight of the line. Pushing all the way to the finish Bardet took third place, and with it four bonus seconds on the GC, while Onley netted his first-ever WorldTour level top five finish in fifth place.
