Stage 2 of the 2022 Tour of Slovenia started in the beautiful and historic town of Ptuj before winding its way around the countryside and eventually finishing on a circuit which finished in Rogaška Slatina after 174.2km.
Our main goal for the day was to get into the breakaway and aim for a top result with Spanish sprinter Miguel Angel Fernandez. Unfortunately Miguel really struggled in the brutal humid heat and had to abandon the race. And despite some fantastic riding by Conor Schunk, the breakaway also wasn’t meant to be.
With Miguel gone the focus turned to Dylan Sunderland. But then Dylan got caught in a small crash on a descent in the final 45km. Thankfully he was able to continue but he just took it steady to the line.
Meanwhile, Conor and Ukko Peltonen had made it in the 2nd group on the road behind a charging peloton. On the laps around Rogaška Slatina Ukko and Conor worked with the other riders in their group and very nearly got back on, bringing the gap down to 20″. By the finish their group was over a minute down on the winner Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco).
Conor Schunk – “It was another day of racing in the heat featuring some short, steep climbs that played a major factor in the finale of the race. We worked together all day to ride efficiently, stay out of the win and keep everyone hydrated as the day progressed.
“With about 40km left the race split apart on a steep 600 metre climb that left Ukko and I in a chasing group of about 40 riders. With around 10km left we could see that the front group of 30 riders was only about 15 seconds ahead but the gap unfortunately extended again as they prepared for the sprint. Personally, I was happy with my sensations and pleased to continue improving my race craft at the UCI Pro Series level.”
Director Sportif, Florent Horeau – “It was a hard day for the guys and we are disappointed to lose Miguel but we still have 3 stages to go and so we keep positive and will go again tomorrow.”
Image by Vid Ponikvar/Sportida