Eritrean Biniam Girmay won a mass sprint to take the second stage of the 2023 Tour of Switzerland on Monday, with local rider Stefan Küng retaining the race lead.

At the end of a 173-kilometer ride between Beromunster and Nottwil, Girmay, riding for Team Wanty, slipped into an opening left by Wout Van Aert, who broke too early, to finish ahead of Frenchman Arnaud Demare. Belgian Van Aert was third

Girmay, 23, added the stage win to a victory in the Giro d'Italia last year, as he took advantage of one of the few opportunities left to sprinters in the mountainous race.

"I surprised myself," said the winner of the 2022 Gent-Wevelgem, who suffered a heavy fall in the Tour of Flanders in April and had been fighting to get fit.

Overall, Swiss Küng kept the lead he acquired on Sunday's prologue. He is five seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, returning to action after his withdrawal from the Giro while leading after a positive COVID test.

The Soudal-Quick Step rider grabbed a bonus second in the second intermediate sprint, with fellow Belgian Van Aert of Jumbo-Visma six seconds adrift in third.