This page contains the stage podium, the race story, GC implications after the stage, and per-rider performance. Read no further if you intend to watch this stage unspoiled.
Elisa Balsamo won the bunch sprint into Caorle in the maglia rosa, her first road win of the season and a second straight Lidl - Trek stage. Lara Gillespie was 2nd, Chiara Consonni 3rd. Balsamo retained pink and the points lead.
The 146 km second stage from Roncade to Caorle followed the script of a sprinters' day. The break of the day — La Bella, Elisa De Vallier, Sara Luccon, then a second trio of Giorgia Serena, Josie Nelson and Fariba Hashimi — built a lead of more than six minutes before the bunch organised the chase, reeling them in with around 15 km to go. The day's lone categorised climb, Cà del Poggio, came too early to affect the finale; Eleonora La Bella crested it first to take the mountains points and the maglia azzurra.
UAE Team ADQ, with Elisa Longo Borghini driving for Lara Gillespie, led the run-in, but Lidl - Trek delivered Balsamo to the front in the closing metres. She launched and held off Gillespie and Consonni for her first road win of the season, in the pink jersey. "This isn't the way I wanted the maglia rosa, but I'll honour it," she said, referencing the Stage 1 disqualification that had handed her the lead.
GC after Stage 2: Balsamo in pink, Gillespie at +0:08, Consonni at +0:12, then a large group (Kool, Zanetti, Baker, Zambelli, Sierra, Verhulst-Wild and others) at +0:20. The GC favourites all sat in the bunch with no time lost.
Won her first road sprint of the season in the maglia rosa, with Lucinda Brand and the Lidl - Trek train delivering her to the front in Caorle. A clear, controlled win that reinforced her grip on both the pink and points jerseys.
Third again in the bunch sprint, the most consistent of the fast finishers chasing Balsamo through the opening week.
Ninth in the bunch sprint, Visma's best finisher on the day.