Following his win on the opening stage, Danny van Poppel doubled up on day two of the Tour de Hongrie with another impressive sprint victory. However, the celebration came with a shadow: Ryan Mullen, Frederik Wandahl, and Sam Welsford were forced to abandon the race after a crash earlier in the stage.
Around 120 kilometers from the finish in Siófok, a crash occurred involving three Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe riders. They were taken to nearby hospitals for further examinations. According to initial information, all three riders are in stable condition with no serious injuries. Frederik Wandahl will remain in hospital overnight for observation.
In the final kilometers, van Poppel was supported by the team’s youngsters Alexander Hajek and Emil Herzog. He positioned himself smartly among the sprint trains of other teams and chose the right wheel to follow. With a headwind on the long finishing straight, he launched his sprint only with 100 meters to go and, just like the day before, outsprinted Dylan Groenewegen and Tim Torn Teutenberg.
Danny van Poppel: “It’s a day of mixed emotions. Of course, I’m really happy about the win – especially on a day like this. At the same time, my thoughts are with my teammates, and I wish them a speedy recovery. We’ll keep pushing on in the race. After the crash, I tried to stay calm and told myself to just give it a go. I know I can position well, and with the headwind I waited for the right moment. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised – I didn’t expect to take the win today, but I’m really proud of how it worked out.”
After two days tailored to the sprinters, the focus now shifts to the puncheurs. Stage three will finish atop Gyöngyös-Kékestető, featuring gradients of eight percent in the final three kilometers.
