Pero Bilbao and the Bahrain Victorias team once again impressed on the second stage of the Tour of the Alps. Pero Bilbao, which won the stage in Rana, did its best to contain a dangerous attack by Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) and Michael Stoller (Groupama-FDJ), both teammates dressed in orange.

Sivakov was on a mission to test the form of himself and his rivals after the break that formed on the Lloret Pass as the Tour of the Alps headed into the Dolomites and the Mendola Pass above Bolzano.

The chase by Sivakov and Stoller and the intensity of the 154-km stage climb meant that only 16 riders finished in the lead group, four of whom were from Bahrain Victorious.

In contrast, Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana Kazakstan) dropped out of the breakaway and chase group to finish in a 13:52 group. Stage 1 winners Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroen) and Hugh Carthy (EF Education Easy Post) lost contact on the final climb, losing 35 seconds of valuable time. The remaining peloton was spread over 20 minutes.

Bilbao was able to sit behind his teammates chasing Sivakov and Storer. The fast Basque had little problem beating Romain Bardet (Team DSM) and Valter Attila (Groupama-FDJ). Thanks to the time bonus, Bilbao now leads the Frenchman by 6 seconds overall.

"We were patient and confident in our abilities. At one point I didn't think we could catch them, but we just kept going and everyone on the team did their best," Bilbao said proudly.

"It was impressive to see the four Bahrain-Victoria riders get to the finish together and still have some legs left and give me a great lead out. After that, I couldn't pass up the chance to win.

"I am very proud of this win. I love showing that cycling is a real team sport. It is impossible to win here without a team. We needed all the players today."

Bilbao is a quiet character, but he seems to know how to give loyalty to his teammates. He never shouts or complains, nor does he openly criticize them when they make mistakes. They are always ready to play the role of domestics if needed.

"I don't like to go into a team and take on leadership or responsibility, because I don't think it's a good idea.

"Thanks to the team I was able to win a stage in Iturra Basque. But there will be moments when I work for other players, and that's not a problem. I'm always ready to work 100% for the leader, no matter who it is."

"As a team, we were in a position to chase today. The other guys left it to us, but the way to win today was to work hard. In certain races, if you feel strong, you have to take responsibility for the race.

Bilbao, now 32, is arguably in his best season. He defeated Julian Alaphilippe in a sprint to win in his home region of Basque Country. He also finished third in the Jebel Hafeet mountain stage of the UAE Tour, five seconds behind overall winner Tadey Pogachar.

He finished ninth overall in the 2021 Tour de France and fifth overall in the 2020 Giro d'Italia. However, his Grand Tour ambitions fell apart in the final week. He and Landa have set their sights on the 2022 Giro d'Italia, but are cautious about their dream of wearing the Maria Rosa in May.

"I think I'm in the best shape ever. I'm improving every year and this is probably the best moment of my career.

"Maglia Rosa in the Giro is a dream, but it still has to come true. The Grand Tours can be difficult for me. I don't think I'm strong enough in the time trials or in the mountains. But to lead the race and win the Maria Rosa is difficult. But I don't think it's impossible."