A sprint it had to be and a sprint it was in the second stage of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour. Just as happened yesterday, the Garnache-Les Sables-d'Olonne stage of 153.6 kilometers was decided in a sprint where, in exactly the same manner as 24 hours earlier, Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) proved unstoppable against his rivals, claiming his second consecutive victory in the short French stage race. Behind the Briton (increasingly the leader of the general classification) finished in order Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) and Sam Bennett (Pinarello-Q36.5), Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies) and Enrico Zanoncello (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) who, finishing in fifth position, was the best Italian at the finish.

In the early stages, the stage was characterized by the escape of Italian Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Frenchmen Simon Guglielmi (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93) and Similien Hamon (CIC Pro Cycling Academy) and Spaniard Javier Ibáñez of Caja Rural - Seguros RGA.

After sharing the various intermediate sprints not without struggle, just under fifty kilometers from the finish, after passing through the finish line for the first time, Marcellusi (who had moved up to third place in the general classification thanks to the 8 seconds of bonus collected along the route) and Guglielmi were caught by the main group, leaving only Hamon and Ibáñez ahead in the breakaway.

With a maximum advantage that came close to 50 seconds, the latter continued to race at the front until the -16 km mark when, thanks to the action carried out behind them by the NSN and Uno-X Mobility men first and then by those of Groupama-FDJ and Pinarello-Q36.5, the peloton went to absorb them.

For the second consecutive day therefore, having easily neutralized the courageous attack 9 kilometers from the line by Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), we witnessed a sprint with full ranks where, anticipating the leadout of the Fredheim-Blikra duo, Vernon raised his fist to the sky for the second consecutive day.

The script and most of the protagonists are likely destined to change tomorrow in the Avrillé-Sainte-Suzanne-et-Chammes stage, a 199-kilometer stage which, in the 17-kilometer closing circuit to be repeated two and a half times, will offer several climbs capable of making the race exciting, open and unpredictable.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Ethan Vernon (GBR/NSN Cycling) - 3:23:49

2. Erlend Blikra (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) - s.t.

3. Sam Bennett (IRL/Pinarello-Q36.5) - s.t.

4. Jason Tesson (FRA/TotalEnergies) - s.t.

5. Enrico Zanoncello (ITA/Bardiani-CSF-7Saber) - s.t.

6. Gianluca Pollefliet (BEL/Decathlon-CMA CGM) - s.t.

7. Manuel Peñalver (SPA/Polti-VisitMalta) - s.t.

8. Corbin Strong (NZL/NSN Cycling) - s.t.

9. Joes Oosterlinck (BEL/Van Rysel-Roubaix) - s.t.

10. Mathias Sanlaville (FRA/CIC Pro Cycling Academy) - s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Ethan Vernon (GBR/NSN Cycling) - 7:20:19

2. Erlend Blikra (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) at 0:08

3. Martin Marcellusi (ITA/Bardiani-CSF-7Saber) at 0:12

4. Simon Guglielmi (FRA/St Michel-Preference Home) at 0:13

5. Lander Loockx (BEL/Unibet Rose Rockets) at 0:14

6. Axel van der Tuuk (NED/Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 0:14

7. Noah Hobbs (GBR/EF Education-EasyPost) at 0:16

8. Sam Bennett (IRL/Pinarello-Q36.5) at 0:16

9. Gabriele Bessega (ITA/Polti-VisitMalta) at 0:19

10. Santiago Ferraro (ITA/Bardiani-CSF-7Saber) at 0:19

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points classification: Ethan Vernon (GBR/NSN Cycling)

Mountain classification: Similien Hamon (FRA/CIC Pro Cycling Academy)

Best young rider classification: Noah Hobbs (GBR/EF Education-EasyPost)