Tour of Sicily 2021 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

September 29, 2021

Tour of Sicily 2021 – Stage 2 – Selinunte – Mondello : 173 km

The Giro di Sicilia is a four-day stage race held entirely on, you guessed it, Sicily – an island in the Mediterranean Sea just south of Italy. The race is one of the oldest on the cycling calendar, having hosted its first edition way back in 1907. Despite being so old, the race has only run 24 times and has experienced a number of long hiatuses. The longest of these was between 1977 and 2019. In 2019 the race was revived, and assigned a 2.1 rating by the UCI, placing it firmly alongside other third tier stage races. Since being revived the Giro di Sicilia has only hosted one edition, but it’s back this year and promises to be bigger and better than ever. This year’s race will follow a slightly different route, with four unpredictable medium-mountain stages that’ll suit the all-rounders.

Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates) won stage 2 of the Giro di Sicilia to Mondello near Palermo with yet another perfect lead out from teammate Maximiliano Richeze.

Vincenzo Nibali and Trek-Segafredo guided the peloton to the Mondello seafront and through a final chicane but then UAE Team Emirates and Richeze took control in the final 500 metres before Molano accelerated to victory.

Filippo Fiorelli (Bardiani-CSF) was second, with Matteo Moschetti (Trek-Segafredo) third.

Thanks to the time bonuses, Molano extended his overall race lead to 14 seconds. Moschetti is second and Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) is third at the same time.

“I’ve got to thank the team yet again, not only for the finish but for all the day, in the way they controlled the race,” Molano said.

“The lead out was perfect with Brandon McNulty doing a great job and then Maxi Richeze leading me out until 150 metres to go. Yesterday’s win was great but today’s was perfect.”

Molano confirmed that UAE Team Emirates will now ride for McNulty in the decisive mountain stages on Thursday and Friday. The American won the 2019 Giro di Sicilia while riding for Rally Cycling.

Yet again, the early breakaway of the stage was allowed to hang out front until the final kilometres of the stage.

Txomin Juaristi (Euskaltel – Euskadi), Emerson Oronte (Rally Cycling), Giacomo Cassarà (Amore e Vita), Niccolò Salvietti (MGKvis), Eric Paties Montagner (Work Service Marchiol) and Stefano Gandin (Zalf Euromobil Fior) were allowed to open a four minute lead after 50km but UAE Team Emirates lead the chase, with the USA’s Joe Dombrowski doing a lot of the work as the stage climbed inland and north towards Palermo.

Later Trek-Segafredo also helped the chase, with only Juaristi staying away on the second categorised climb of the stage with 20km to go.

Giovanni Bortoluzzi (Work Service Marchiol Vega) was allowed to hang out front along the spectacular coast road and past the memorial that remembers anti-mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo, and three police escort agents who were killed by a roadside bomb in 1992.

Marc Soler (Movistar) tried to split the peloton with six kilometres to go and caught Bortoluzzi but the sprinters’ teams and especially UAE Team Emirates had no intention of letting another victory escape their grasp.

Results :
1 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates 4:25:41
2 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
3 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
4 Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
5 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
6 Francesco Carollo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
7 Samuele Zambelli (Ita) Iseo-Rime-Carnovali
8 Nicolas Nesi (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
9 Omer Goldstein (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
10 Mattia Bais (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
11 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
12 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
13 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
14 Jokin Aranburu Arruti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
15 Paolo Simion (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
16 Francesco Di Felice (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
17 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
18 Cristian Scaroni (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
19 Alberto Serrano Alvarez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
20 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
21 Paolo Toto (Ita) Amore e Vita
22 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
23 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
24 Simone Velasco (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
25 Romain Bardet (Fra) Team DSM
26 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-up Nation
27 David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
28 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
29 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
30 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo
31 Stefano Di Benedetto (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
32 Maksym Bilyi (Ukr) D’Amico um Tools
33 Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar Team
34 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
35 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team
36 Lorenzo Quartucci (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
37 Kevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
38 Riccardo Verza (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
39 Marco Tizza (Ita) Amore e Vita
40 Alessio Martinelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
41 Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
42 Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
43 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
44 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
45 Daniel Muñoz Giraldo (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
46 Davide Orrico (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
47 Luca Rastelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
48 Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
49 Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
50 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
51 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
52 Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
53 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
54 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
55 Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM
56 Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team
57 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
58 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
59 Samuel Quaranta (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
60 Chris Froome (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
61 Asbjorn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
62 Stefano Gandin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
63 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
64 Matteo Zurlo (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
65 Paul Double (GBr) Mg.k Vis VPM
66 Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
67 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally Cycling
68 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
69 Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
70 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
71 Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
72 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
73 Florian Stork (Ger) Team DSM
74 Ben King (USA) Rally Cycling
75 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
76 Mark Christian (GBr) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
77 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo
78 Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
79 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
80 James Piccoli (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
81 Adriano Brogi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
82 Nikolay Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
83 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
84 Unai Iribar Jauregi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
85 Marco Brenner (Ger) Team DSM
86 Kristian Javier Yustre Rodriguez (Col) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
87 Alex Tolio (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
88 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
89 Marco Frapporti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
90 Edoardo Faresin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
91 Sergio Meris (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
92 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
93 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
94 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
95 Charles-Etienne Chretien (Can) Rally Cycling
96 Nathan Brown (USA) Rally Cycling
97 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Team DSM
98 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
99 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates
100 Joe Dombrowski (USA) UAE Team Emirates
101 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
102 Nicola Plebani (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
103 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
104 Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
105 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
106 Francesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
107 Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
108 Mason Hollyman (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:01:16
109 Keegan Swirbul (USA) Rally Cycling 0:01:22
110 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
111 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team 0:01:39
112 Fabio Di Guglielmo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
113 Jacopo Cortese (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
114 Alessio Acco (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior 0:01:55
115 Giacomo Cassara (Ita) Amore e Vita
116 Giovanni Bortoluzzi (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
117 Mattia Benedetti (Ita) Amore e Vita
118 Eric Paties Montagner (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
119 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:19
120 Damiano Cima (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
121 Iuri Filosi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due 0:03:31
122 Federico Burchio (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek 0:05:55
123 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:06:32
124 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Amore e Vita
125 Alastair Mackellar (Aus) Israel Start-up Nation
126 Iker Ballarin Manso (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
127 Besnik Islami (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
128 Simone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
129 Paul Wright (NZl) Mg.k Vis VPM
130 Johnatan Cañaveral Vargas (Col) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
131 Daniel Smarzaro (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
132 Niccolo Salvietti (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
DNF Davide Persico (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates 9:02:42
2 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:14
3 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
4 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:00:16
5 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
6 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
7 Matteo Zurlo (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior 0:00:17
8 David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:18
9 Charles-Etienne Chretien (Can) Rally Cycling
10 Romain Bardet (Fra) Team DSM 0:00:19
11 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team 0:00:20
12 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
13 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
14 Francesco Di Felice (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
15 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
16 Nicolas Nesi (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
17 Omer Goldstein (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
18 Paolo Simion (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
19 Alberto Serrano Alvarez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
20 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
21 Simone Velasco (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
22 Jokin Aranburu Arruti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
23 Mattia Bais (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
24 Kevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
25 Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
26 Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
27 Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
28 Francesco Carollo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
29 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
30 Samuele Zambelli (Ita) Iseo-Rime-Carnovali
31 Riccardo Verza (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
32 Marco Tizza (Ita) Amore e Vita
33 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
34 Alessio Martinelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
35 Maksym Bilyi (Ukr) D’Amico um Tools
36 Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
37 Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
38 Stefano Di Benedetto (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
39 Luca Rastelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
40 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
41 Cristian Scaroni (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
42 Lorenzo Quartucci (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
43 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-up Nation
44 Samuel Quaranta (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
45 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
46 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
47 Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
48 Paolo Toto (Ita) Amore e Vita
49 Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM
50 Davide Orrico (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
51 Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
52 Paul Double (GBr) Mg.k Vis VPM
53 Kristian Javier Yustre Rodriguez (Col) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
54 Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar Team
55 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
56 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
57 Mark Christian (GBr) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
58 Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
59 Marco Brenner (Ger) Team DSM
60 Daniel Muñoz Giraldo (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
61 Alex Tolio (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
62 Ben King (USA) Rally Cycling
63 Damiano Cima (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
64 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team
65 Chris Froome (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
66 Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team
67 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
68 Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
69 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
70 Asbjorn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
71 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
72 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
73 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo
74 Stefano Gandin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
75 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
76 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
77 Unai Iribar Jauregi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
78 Nathan Brown (USA) Rally Cycling
79 Adriano Brogi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
80 Edoardo Faresin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
81 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
82 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
83 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
84 Francesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
85 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally Cycling
86 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
87 Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
88 Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
89 James Piccoli (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
90 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
91 Marco Frapporti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
92 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
93 Florian Stork (Ger) Team DSM
94 Nikolay Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
95 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
96 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
97 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
98 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo
99 Sergio Meris (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
100 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
101 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates
102 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Team DSM
103 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
104 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
105 Nicola Plebani (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
106 Joe Dombrowski (USA) UAE Team Emirates
107 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
108 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
109 Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:00:50
110 Mason Hollyman (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:01:36
111 Keegan Swirbul (USA) Rally Cycling 0:01:42
112 Jacopo Cortese (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM 0:01:58
113 Fabio Di Guglielmo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM 0:01:59
114 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
115 Giacomo Cassara (Ita) Amore e Vita 0:02:15
116 Alessio Acco (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
117 Giovanni Bortoluzzi (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
118 Mattia Benedetti (Ita) Amore e Vita
119 Eric Paties Montagner (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
120 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:39
121 Iuri Filosi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due 0:03:51
122 Federico Burchio (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek 0:06:15
123 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation 0:06:52
124 Paul Wright (NZl) Mg.k Vis VPM
125 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Amore e Vita
126 Besnik Islami (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
127 Niccolo Salvietti (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
128 Johnatan Cañaveral Vargas (Col) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
129 Iker Ballarin Manso (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
130 Alastair Mackellar (Aus) Israel Start-up Nation
131 Simone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
132 Daniel Smarzaro (Ita) D’Amico um Tools