Saudi Tour 2022 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

February 2, 2022

Saudi Tour 2022 – Stage 2 – Taibah University – Abu Rakah : 163,9 km

The Saudi Tour was first held back in 1999, but it wasn’t until 2020 that it joined the UCI Asia Tour and really established itself as an international stage race.

Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) took his first professional victory on stage 2 of the Saudi Tour, outsmarting Andrea Bagioli (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) on the hilltop finish at Abu Rakah after the pair had escaped from the peloton in the final kilometre.

Danish youngster Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Pro Cycling) emerged from the chasing group to complete the podium at seven seconds.

22-year-old Buitrago, who is at the start of his third season as a pro, jumped away towards the bottom of the final ramp to the finish, which started at 1.6 kilometres to go. He went with Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies), followed Bagioli as the Italian surge past and then kicked away to victory in sight of the line.

The Colombian took over the race lead from stage 1 winner Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), who finished fifth having raced up the climb near the front of the peloton. Heading into stage 3, the gap between the two lies at seven seconds, with Charmig third overall at 13 seconds.

Ewan wears the red jersey as points classification leader after the stage, but will have a chance to take back the race lead via bonus seconds on Thursday with another sprint finish likely.

Earlier in the day, Martin Bugge Urianstad (Uno-X Pro Cycling) and Polychronis Tzortzakis (Kuwait Pro Cycling) got out in the break for the second day running alongside Jeroen Meijers (Terengganu Polygon).

At one point their lead was up to four minutes, but with Lotto Soudal in control of the peloton there was little chance of staying away to the end. They were duly caught inside the last 10 kilometres with Meijers the last man standing, setting up the big hilltop finish.

Jayde Julius (Kuwait Pro Cycling) tried a move with seven kilometres to go but couldn’t get anywhere, and so the peloton hit the climb massed together before the winning attack came from Oss, Buitrago and Bagioli.

Results :
1 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious 03:43:51
2 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:00:01
3 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00:07
4 Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Lotto Soudal
5 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
6 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal
7 Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis 00:00:11
8 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
9 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
10 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
11 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
12 Lawson Craddock (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
13 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
14 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis
15 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) TotalEnergies
16 Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
17 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
18 Jan Maas (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:00:16
19 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
20 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM 00:00:22
21 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
22 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:26
23 Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:28
24 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:00:38
25 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
26 Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
27 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
28 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Bahrain Victorious
29 Alex Edmondson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
30 Victor de la Parte (Spa) TotalEnergies
31 Filip Maciejuk (Pol) Bahrain Victorious 00:00:54
32 Capser van Uden (Ned) Team DSM
33 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:00:59
34 Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
35 Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
36 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
37 Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team DSM
38 Michael Hepburn (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:01:09
39 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 00:01:18
40 James Jobber (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling
41 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
42 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
43 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Team DSM 00:01:33
44 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
45 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
46 Yousif Mirza Al-Hammadi (UAE) UAE Team Emirates
47 Max Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
48 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
49 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
50 Martin Urianstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
51 Sam Welsford (Aus) Team DSM
52 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:01:37
53 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
54 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:01:55
55 Matthew Clements (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:02:03
56 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Cofidis
57 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
58 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
59 Muhamad Afiq Huznie Othman (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
60 Markus Pajur (Est) Arkea-Samsic 00:02:08
61 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:02:29
62 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Cofidis
63 Felix Groß (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
64 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
65 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
66 Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
67 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
68 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious 00:02:41
69 Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:02:46
70 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe
71 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
72 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
73 Julius Jayde (RSA) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:02:50
74 Luka Mezgec (Slo) BikeExchange-Jayco
75 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) TotalEnergies 00:02:56
76 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal 00:03:42
77 Daniel McLay (GBr) Arkea-Samsic
78 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
79 Nico Denz (Ger) Team DSM 00:03:49
80 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM
81 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM
82 Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:04:26
83 Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:04:34
84 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
85 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe
86 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team
87 Simon Dehairs (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 00:05:12
88 Abdulhadi Alajmi (Kuw) Kuwait Pro Cycling
89 Jarrad Drizners (Aus) Lotto Soudal 00:05:17
90 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Lotto Soudal
91 Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies 00:06:17
92 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:06:34
93 Mehdi Tigrine (Bel) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:09:55
94 Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:10:57
95 Ahmed Madan (Brn) Bahrain Victorious 00:11:21
DNF Sjoerd Bax (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain Victorious 08:25:33
2 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 00:00:07
3 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00:13
4 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:14
5 Maxim Van Gils (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:00:17
6 Tim Declercq (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:00:20
7 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis 00:00:21
8 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
9 Danny van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe
10 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
11 Rui Oliveira (Por) UAE Team Emirates
12 Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
13 Alexandre Geniez (Fra) TotalEnergies
14 Axel Zingle (Fra) Cofidis
15 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
16 Lawson Craddock (USA) BikeExchange-Jayco
17 Eliot Lietaer (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:00:26
18 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:32
19 Fred Wright (GBr) Bahrain Victorious
20 Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:38
21 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Bahrain Victorious 00:00:48
22 Donavan Grondin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
23 Maurice Ballerstedt (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix
24 Fredrik Dversnes (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
25 Victor de la Parte (Spa) TotalEnergies
26 Florian Senechal (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
27 Filip Maciejuk (Pol) Bahrain Victorious 00:01:04
28 Alex Edmondson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:01:07
29 Alberto Dainese (Ita) Team DSM 00:01:09
30 Jonathan Milan (Ita) Bahrain Victorious
31 Edward Planckaert (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
32 Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
33 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies 00:01:28
34 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
35 Martin Urianstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:01:38
36 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:01:43
37 Bert Van Lerberghe (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
38 Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
39 Max Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
40 Niklas Märkl (Ger) Team DSM
41 Yousif Mirza Al-Hammadi (UAE) UAE Team Emirates
42 Muhamad Nur Aiman Mohd Zariff (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:01:47
43 Jan Maas (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:01:48
44 Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) Team DSM 00:01:54
45 Jannik Steimle (Ger) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:02:01
46 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:02:05
47 Jérémy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:02:13
48 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix
49 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Cofidis
50 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:02:14
51 Markus Pajur (Est) Arkea-Samsic 00:02:18
52 Capser van Uden (Ned) Team DSM 00:02:26
53 Felix Groß (Ger) UAE Team Emirates 00:02:39
54 Davide Ballerini (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
55 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco
56 Christophe Noppe (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
57 Wesley Kreder (Ned) Cofidis
58 Michael Hepburn (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:02:41
59 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Bahrain Victorious 00:02:51
60 Lars Saugstad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:02:56
61 Jordi Meeus (Bel) Bora-Hansgrohe
62 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
63 Luka Mezgec (Slo) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:03:00
64 Julius Jayde (RSA) Kuwait Pro Cycling
65 Sam Welsford (Aus) Team DSM 00:03:05
66 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) TotalEnergies 00:03:06
67 Alexander Konychev (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:03:15
68 Daniel McLay (GBr) Arkea-Samsic 00:03:52
69 Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal
70 Nico Denz (Ger) Team DSM 00:03:59
71 Tim Naberman (Ned) Team DSM
72 Ryan Mullen (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:04:13
73 Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:04:36
74 Martin Laas (Est) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:04:38
75 Mohd Harrif Saleh (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:04:44
76 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
77 Jonas Abrahamsen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
78 Simon Dehairs (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 00:05:22
79 Rüdiger Selig (Ger) Lotto Soudal 00:05:27
80 Thomas De Gendt (Bel) Lotto Soudal 00:06:16
81 Jarrad Drizners (Aus) Lotto Soudal 00:06:49
82 Matthew Clements (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:07:26
83 Mohd Shahrul Mat Amin (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:07:41
84 Niki Terpstra (Ned) TotalEnergies 00:07:49
85 James Jobber (GBr) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:08:25
86 Abdulhadi Alajmi (Kuw) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:08:59
87 Jeroen Meijers (Ned) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:13:39
88 Syver Wærsted (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:15:34
89 Muhamad Afiq Huznie Othman (Mas) Terengganu Polygon Cycling Team 00:16:04
90 Matteo Fabbro (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:16:47
91 Mehdi Tigrine (Bel) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:17:02
92 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels-KTM 00:17:50
93 Polychronis Tzortzakis (Gre) Kuwait Pro Cycling 00:18:03
94 Ahmed Madan (Brn) Bahrain Victorious 00:18:28
95 Andrea Bagioli (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:19:45