The second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné was won by Jonathan Milan, who proved to be the strongest at the finish line in Issoire. Mathieu van der Poel was once again in the spotlight, as for the second consecutive time he had to settle for a placement. After an excellent third place on the first day of the race, the Dutchman replicated the result in yesterday's stage, but with a different finale.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had managed to catch Jonathan Milan's wheel, but the Lidl-Trek sprinter proved to have an extra gear compared to his rivals.

Van der Poel at the end of the stage wore the green jersey, while Milan became the overall leader and will start today wearing yellow. "The last 5 km were incredibly fast, and it was a tight battle to get Milan's wheel - Van der Poel recounted - Everyone knows he's the fastest, as I've said many times, yesterday he once again proved it. So yes, I'm happy to have participated in the sprint, and also with the third place".

During the stage, there had been a moment of difficulty for Lidl-Trek, when Milan was dropped on a climb about 55 kilometers from the finish. Other teams tried to wear down the Friulian sprinter, who, thanks to his team's help, managed to get back into the group and contest the victory in the sprint. "Everyone saw that Milan was dropped, but we knew his team was waiting for him to bring him back. So yes, we knew it would be really tough. I think yesterday a sprint was inevitable, it was an option we all imagined".

In this Dauphiné, Alpecin-Deceuninck did not bring a true sprint train, but van Der Poel, who is a Classics rider, knows perfectly well how to move in a finale like yesterday's.

"The team made no mistakes and everyone did a good job, and in the end it was up to me to put myself in the best position for the sprint. But when you have to face a sprint like the one in Issoire and there's a rider like Milan in the race, it's almost impossible for me to beat him. He's one of the most powerful in a group sprint. So yes, I think I can be satisfied with third place".

Van der Poel seems to be on the right track for a complete recovery after his recent fall and is using the Dauphiné as preparation for the Tour de France. "I did the sprint because I felt quite good. I hope to continue improving day by day. I'm happy with my form, because after the accident there were doubts about how my preparation would go. I'm doing exactly what I really need now: suffering a bit in the finale. I'll still have plenty to suffer through for the rest of the week, but that's fine because it's the best way to arrive ready for the Tour de France".