Video - Gillespie pushes Wiebes close in Poland after crash

Ireland's Lara Gillespie may have suffered a late crash yesterday, but the Irish woman has bounced back really strongly in Poland today (Photo: Thomas Braun)

Lara Gillespie (UAE Team ADQ) has bounced back strongly on stage 2 of Tour de Pologne, claiming 2nd place, after seeing her sprint on yesterday's opener wiped out by a crash on a roundabout.

The Irish rider came down just before the finish in a crash that created a huge gap at the front of the bunch, enabling Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) to win at a canter.

However, though Wiebes has taken her second stage win today, Gillespie was squarely in the fight and was the only rider in the field to challenge the Dutch rider.

Wiebes's initial kick is always impressive; almost always ensuring that she opens a gap on her rivals, leaving them playing catch-up all the way to the line.

And while today's finish - after 118km of racing into Lubartów - followed much the same pattern, Gillespie appeared to gain on Wiebes in the final metres.

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The Irish woman's sprint was really impressive and relegated to 3rd place Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), who won four stages at the Giro d'Italia last month. Former world champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) was 4th.

Wiebes went early in the sprint, with Gillespie getting onto her wheel, but needing to jump across the road slightly to make sure she made it.

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Wiebes than opened her familiar gap with her initial kick, but Gillespie was never out of it and made up group on her rival at the last.

Mia Griffin (Picnic PostNL) was also in the think of it towards the front, taking 15th place on the stage.

Emma Jeffers, getting a World Tour team call-up for this race with Liv AlUla Jayco, was 21st while Marine Lenehan (Lidl Trek) also finished in the bunch, in 86th.

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