Team Novo Nordisk Battles Wind and Climbing Challenge on Stage 2 of the Tour de Taiwan

Team Novo Nordisk showed resilience and strong teamwork on the second stage of the Tour de Taiwan, despite the day’s challenging conditions and a tough final climb.

The day began with Donovan Mackie anticipating an early breakaway. “We had a feeling there was going to be an early break, so I positioned well and followed some moves with other teams to form the break,” Mackie explained. The breakaway group battled hard against the crosswinds, pushing the pace before the peloton caught them halfway through the stage as the race grew more nervous.

With the break caught, the focus shifted to the critical final 20 kilometers, where the flat terrain gave way to a demanding climb. Celestin Wattelle described it as a true “climbing day.” The team worked to stay well positioned, protecting Anton Muller at the base of the climb. “We were well positioned at the bottom of the climb, protecting Anton, then I dropped and went to the top with the group,” Wattelle said.

Anton Muller gave everything on the final steep gradients but ran out of fuel before the summit. “Not a great day for me but in the end no regrets, we did everything fine,” Anton reflected on his tough day.