'Not a day to gain time, but not to lose it either' — Visma happy with Nordhagen stage 2 performance

Visma | Lease a Bike will have hoped for it — but seeing Jørgen Nordhagen genuinely sitting among the GC contenders after three days of the Tour de Romandie will have made the Dutch team proud. The 21-year-old Norwegian delivered again at Thursday's stage two.

The second road stage — day three in Romandie — went to Tadej Pogačar. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG man won a bunch sprint, though he admitted afterwards that a degree of luck and favourable conditions played their part.

It was an impressive sprint nonetheless. Pogačar overpowered race favourite Dorian Godon (INEOS Grenadiers) with ease — despite INEOS and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, working for Finn Fischer-Black, having driven the pace through the finale.

Visma | Lease a Bike stayed out of the tactical battle on Thursday — in part because sprinter Axel Zingle could not survive the punchy finale with its constant ups and downs. Nordhagen, however, was firmly in the front group, alongside Anton Schiffer and Tijmen Graat.

"Again among the best riders in Switzerland. Strong race from Jørgen and the Bees!" the team posted immediately after the stage. Further quotes followed through official channels later in the evening.

"It wasn't a day to gain seconds, but it was a day not to lose time. That was our absolute priority today," said sports director Gaëtan Pons. Mission accomplished — and then some. "We are in a good position in the general classification, and that was the most important thing today."

There was particular praise for Nordhagen. "Jørgen is a young rider with a lot of potential, and it is beautiful to see how he holds his own among all these strong riders."