It is Yevgeniy Fedorov who celebrates at the finish line of the second stage of the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Race. The Asian continental champion from XDS Astana imposed himself at the finish in İsmayıllı, the conclusion of a stage that was 193.3 kilometers long overall, beating in the decisive two-man sprint the great protagonist of the final stretch Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali), who could do nothing against the greater freshness of the twenty-six-year-old Kazakh who became, thanks to time bonuses, the new race leader.

Behind them, with a delay of nine seconds, Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) controlled the sprint against the eighteen men making up the first chasing group who, despite the efforts made in the closing stages, were unable to close the gap on the two breakaway riders.

THE RACE REPORT

The race exploded approximately 140 kilometers from the finish when, taking advantage of the wind on the road toward the first of three categorized climbs of the day, particularly on the initiative of XDS Astana, several echelons broke the main group into multiple sections.

Up front, after a successful chase produced in the following kilometers by some riders, 34 men remained: Aaron Gate, Yevgeniy Fedorov, Henok Mulubrhan and Gleb Syritsa (XDS Astana Team), Urko Berrade, Diego Uriarte, Pablo Carrascosa, Iñigo Elosegui, Hugo Aznar and Iker Gómez (Equipo Kern Pharma), Luca Covili, Alessio Martinelli and Alex Tolio (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Eric Antonio Fagúndez, Jambaljamts Sainbayar, Martín Rey, Carlos García Pierna and Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH), Alexandre Balmer, Tilen Finkšt and Santiago Umba (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali), Cristian Raileanu, Calum Johnston, Simon Pellaud and Eduardo Sepúlveda (Li Ning Star), Mathias Bregnhøj (Terengganu Cycling Team), Tegsh-Bayar Batsaikhan (Roojai Insurance Winspace), David Delgado (Quick Pro Team), Lennert Teugels, Gianni Marchand and Arne Santy (Tarteletto – Isorex), Hugo Lutz-Atkinson (EuroCyclingTrips – CCN), Yegor Logachyev (Team Vino - North Qazaqstan Region) and Diego Andrés Camargo (Team Medellín – EPM).

This substantial group continued compactly until 42 kilometers from the finish when, about to tackle the slopes of the first category climb at Qәdim Basqal, Alexandre Balmer surprised his breakaway companions by launching a decisive solo attack. Despite the advantage not being particularly large over the other members of the first group, the Swiss rider from Solution Tech NIPPO Rali continued to believe in his move, arriving, as the kilometers passed, to dream with increasing conviction of pulling off the big coup given the difficulties of the men behind him in organizing an effective chase.

At 13 kilometers from the finish, however, with a counterattack launched at just the right moment, Yevgeniy Fedorov said goodbye to the group and set off in pursuit of the Swiss rider who, aided by the wind and the fatigue accumulated up to that point, saw the XDS Astana rider catch him 5 kilometers from the line. Trading pulls regularly, the two managed to maintain a fifteen-second advantage until passing under the flamme rouge, where Balmer, in an attempt to shake off his rival, tried one last attack from a finisher's perspective that the Asian road race champion, after a moment of uncertainty, brilliantly neutralized. Finding the wheel of his peer from La Chaux-de-Fonds, Fedorov thus approached the final straight with the right speed and aggression, where, giving everything he had, he produced the sprint that earned him his twelfth professional victory and the new blue leader's jersey.

STAGE RESULTS

1. Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana Team) 4:41:38

2. Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) st

3. Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) +0:09

4. Santiago Umba (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) +0:09

5. Aaron Gate (XDS Astana Team) +0:09

6. Cristian Raileanu (Li Ning Star) +0:09

7. Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team) +0:09

8. Lennert Teugels (Tarteletto - Isorex) +0:09

9. David Delgado (Quick Pro Team) +0:09

10. Calum Johnston (Li Ning Star) +0:09

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Yevgeniy Fedorov (XDS Astana Team) 8:11:30

2. Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) +0:05

3. Henok Mulubrhan (XDS Astana Team) +0:14

4. Eric Antonio Fagúndez (Burgos Burpellet BH) +0:15

5. Aaron Gate (XDS Astana Team) +0:16

6. Hugo Aznar (Equipo Kern Pharma) +0:18

7. Luca Covili (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber) +0:19

8. Santiago Umba (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) +0:19

9. Calum Johnston (Li Ning Star) +0:19

10. Josh Burnett (Burgos Burpellet BH) +0:19