Orica-GreenEDGE reasserted their dominance in the team time trial to take fastest time on stage two at the Eneco Tour.
The Australian squad narrowly edged out Omega Pharma-Quickstep by less than a second, a time of 21 minutes and nine seconds good enough to seal victory over the 18.9-kilometre course.
The victory saw GreenEDGE’s Belgian youngster Jens Keukeleire move into the lead of the race by virtue of having crossed the line first at the finish.
Katusha pushed the top two close, a further second back on the tough course around Sittard which saw a number of big-name teams struggling to compete.
BMC Racing came off worst after a touch of wheels mid-stage saw three riders go down hard, leaving just five riders together at the finish.
Team test
Windy conditions made life tough for the teams as the race headed into a second day and a team time trial which always looked likely to shake up the standings.
Team Sky began the day on the back foot with just seven riders on the start line and Luke Rowe also suffering following a crash heading into the sprint on Monday. The result was a time 37 seconds slower at the finish.
The action continues on Wednesday as the race ventures into Belgium for the first time with a 188km test from Riemst to Genk.
