So after almost three years of coming up short, Peter Sagan wins the stage, and takes the yellow jersey for the first time. He benefitted from the help of Roman Kreuziger, who towed him into a perfect position – even if Sagan didn’t know it as he crossed the line.
Tinkoff have some tough calls to make, after their GC contender Alberto Contador suffered all day and finished 50 seconds behind his rivals. It was also a tough day for Etixx-QuickStep, Julian Alaphilippe joining Marcel Kittel in letting a stage win slip away.
Lost in the midst of that frantic finish was Jasper Stuyven, part of a breakaway all afternoon, who launched a solo attack 10km from the finish line, and got within 500m. He at least gets the polka-dot jersey as consolation. That’s all for today. Thanks for joining me. Bye!
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Race result
- Peter Sagan (Tinkoff)
- Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep)
- Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)
- Dan Martin (Ettix-QuickStep)
- Michael Matthews (Orica)
- Wilco Kelderman (LottoNL-Jumbo)
- Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Soudal)
- Greg van Avermaet (BMC)
- Bauke Mollema (Trek)
- Chris Froome (Sky)
Sagan admits that his lack of celebration at the line was because he didn’t realise he’d won: “I thought there were two guys still in front of me.”
Sagan will also swap the world champion’s jersey for a yellow one for tomorrow’s race. Cavendish lost a chunk of time at the end. Richie Porte suffered a puncture and lost two minutes, and Alberto Contador, who struggled all day with an injured shoulder, finished around 45 seconds behind the main group.
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Peter Sagan wins stage two!
The world champion, after so many near-misses, is in the perfect place this time, and takes the stage from a furious Alaphilippe.
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Alaphilippe seems to have it in his grasp with 200m to go, but Peter Sagan is lying in wait, brought to the fore by his Tinkoff team-mates...
Stuyven gets to the top of the climb, but he’s running out of gas – and he’s caught with 500m to go! Julian Alaphilippe, Valverde and Peter Sagan are all poised at the final ramp...
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TJ Slagter moves out of the pack, but Stuyven has reached the top of the climb – the peloton are in sight, but he’s inside the final kilometre. Can he hang on? This is so close...
Alaphilippe, Dan Martin and other big beasts that have been lurking are now sizing each other up. Someone needs to make a move, and Stuyven has a 35 second lead. Voss and Breen have been caught, while Mark Cavendish is enjoying his last few moments in yellow.
Stuyven is moving at 24km/h as he tackles the Côte de la Glacerie, pain etched on his face. He’s just bagged the combativity award – can he take the stage, and the yellow jersey, to boot?
Stuyven barrels through a couple of sinewy right-hand turns, and still has 1min 20sec. Has he got the legs for this final climb? He has 3km, virtually all uphill, to go.
Bad, bad news for Richie Porte – the BMC man needs a new wheel and has to wait for a neutral car. He’s bound to lose a fair chunk of time.
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“Stuyven, Voss and Breen is in fact Austria’s top brand of hi-fi speakers” says Mark Turner, moments before Stuyven betrayed our riff by going it alone.
Stuyven is approaching the base of the final climb, the Côte de la Glacerie – the first Category 3 climb of the race. He’s looking shaky on the downhill run, almost careering into the crowd on a big left-hander. I’ll be honest, I’m rooting for him.
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The pack continue to push, and close to within 1min 40sec. Crucially, Stuyven has crossed the summit of that ramp, and is heading downhill towards that brutal final 3km. There’s rain in the air, too.
The leaders take on the penultimate bump in the road, and after over a hundred miles out in front, their legs are suffering – but Stuyven senses his moment, and bolts away up the hill! Only 8.3km for the Belgian to hang on...
A sweeping right-hand turn signals the race’s arrival into Cherbourg. A real battle for control of the peloton is brewing, Dimension Data and Team Sky butting heads. That helps out the leaders, who aren’t battling for space. They still lead by 2min 25sec with 10km to go; an upcoming climb and descent in the town centre might settle this.
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While Pierre Rolland and Joaquim Rodriguez, both of whom still fancy a win, moving to the front of the pack, the leaders are halfway through their descent. The peloton have caught Benedetti, but (Scandinavian furniture studio) Stuyven, Voss and Breen still hold a 2min 40sec lead, with 12.5km to go.
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Local boys Direct Energie are grinding away at the front of the peloton now. Team Sky, Tinkoff and BMC are starting to move as they head downhill – with BMC’ Richie Porte keeping a close eye on his former team.
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The leaders cross over the summit at Sainte-Croix-Hague, and are now heading east towards Cherbourg. 20km to go, now just three minutes clear, but with a long downhill run to come. They have a chance here...
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In the breakaway group, Benedetti has fallen away, leaving Stuyven, Voss and Breen as a leading trio. They’re 25km from the finish, 3min 30sec clear and almost over the Sainte-Croix-Hague and into the downhill stint before Cherbourg. Can they hold on?
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The final 3km today will be an uphill struggle, peaking at a 14% gradient on the way to La Glacerie – an area named after a glass factory rather than an ice cream shop, disappointingly.
Chris Froome might have fancied putting a dent in his GC rivals’ hopes on today’s finish – but right-hand man Geraint Thomas has had to change a wheel, so Team Sky will have to regroup. Vincenzo Nibali, who won a similar finish in Sheffield two years ago, is well placed in the pack with his Astana team.
The peleton is starting to stretch as Dimension Data continue to push them forward, supported by IAM. Still 3min 45 seconds, and the rain is falling. The roads are filling up, and we’re seeing today’s first roadside art – a cow on a bike, and a giant winking farmer. Why not.
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The leaders, surrounded by darkening clouds and crawling along a clifftop, reach the aptly named town of Helleville. They have 30km remaining, split into manageable chunks: 10k, 10k steep descent, 10k furious finish. It might be time for one of them to make a move.
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The pack are climbing towards the highest point since Côte de Montabot, which was crossed almost four hours. They’ve sliced another thirty seconds off the front four’s lead, but there’s only 20km left before that fiendish run into Cherbourg.
Poor old Sam Bennett had made it back to the main bunch, but has now lost ground again along with Katusha’s Michael Morkov, who was also hurt yesterday.
The peloton starting to motor now, taking the tight corners and narrow roads of Les Pieux at speed to trim the gap down to five minutes flat. The leading quartet are 40km from the finish line, but that’s only half the story.
As we’ve discussed home Tour winners and snazzy retro jerseys, it would be remiss not to link to this, from Gary Naylor:
On that point, it’s worth noting that Cavendish won’t fancy his chances on that steep uphill finish, so perhaps his team won’t push too hard to close on the leaders.
It’s more of a concern for the teams in GC contention, and there’s a limited amount of trouble-free tarmac ahead to cut the gap. There is still 5min 30sec between the peloton and the four men in front – Cesare Benedetti, Paul Voss, Vegard Breen and Jasper Stuyven.
We’re into bleak, fog-bound territory at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula, before the riders start circling towards Cherbourg. There’s a bit of a stand-off in the peloton, with Dimension Data waiting for someone else to pick up the slack. BMC and Movistar reluctantly oblige.
The terrain is rising and falling again after that pan-flat stretch, but with 50km to go, we’re still very much in calm-before-the-storm territory. Dimension Data riders have done their bit for Cavendish, and their sponsors, with a lengthy stint at the front of the peloton.
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A real shame, a couple of idiots etc...
After the scramble for green jersey points, Mark Cavendish is still the overall leader, with Marcel Kittel wearing green on the road. Fifty points are available to today’s stage winner, so Peter Sagan and Bryan Coquard could take it away from Cavendish with victory.
The gap is holding firm at 5min 30sec, as the pack wend their way into Barneville-Carteret, feasting on gel packs and the like before we get into the business end of the race. It’s been a gentle pace today, around 41km/h, so there’s still over an hour for the peloton to close the gap.
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A reminder that every single cyclist is still active in the Tour; there have been no retirements yet. Sam Bennett could be the first; he’s still adrift behind the peloton and may struggle to finish today.
Tony Martin, in a crash earlier but still snugly in the main bunch, is tired today because he stayed up to watch Germany v Italy. Nice to know that sometimes these guys are no better than us mere mortals.
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...before Greipel, Kittel, Peter Sagan and Alexander Kristoff all arrive on the scene, creating a weird, second-gear sprint royal in the middle of the race. Greipel got there first, while Cavendish couldn’t be bothered, content with his stage win and yellow jersey.
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There are still points available for the peloton at Port-Bail, with Bryan Coquard and Mark Cavendish limbering up with 1km to go...
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The gap between the leading quartet – Benedetti, Voss, Breen and Stuyven, who idled through the intermediate sprint in that order – and the peloton is still six minutes. 75km to go, and bumpier terrain ahead, but the rain has eased off at the finish line, and cross winds haven’t had an impact.
Not long now until today’s intermediate sprint at Port-Bail. Julian Alaphilippe, who could figure in the latter stages, won an amateur race in the town in 2011. Another man with local knowledge is BMC’s Amaël Moinard, who was born and raised in Cherbourg.
Here’s more on Dimension Data, the African team currently in possession of the yellow jersey:
And click here if you fancy winning a team replica kit, plus some fine wine that you’ll drink responsibly, of course.
The peloton are approaching Lessay, a village they also passed through on stage one. Where yesterday’s route turned inland, we’re now heading towards the coastline, and perhaps some testing cross winds. The gap to the breakaway is still 6min 15sec.
I like your style, ‘MaliciousA’. Pinot does indeed have a shot at becoming the first home winner since Hinault, back in 1985. Will Fotheringham has more:
Dimension Data are keeping the peloton rolling, led by Simon Cummings and Mark Cavendish. They remain 6min 50sec behind the breakaway. The back markers have caught up, but Marcel Kittel looks sore and shaken after that fall. Ireland’s Sam Bennett is in trouble – he crashed at the end of stage one, and has fallen off the back of the pack.
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The breakaway group have stretched their lead to almost seven minutes on the descent away from Coutances. On what could be a nervous afternoon for the main bunch, there’s a puncher’s chance one of these four men could go the distance – my money would be on Stuyven.
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It’s worth pointing out that the 3km rule isn’t in play today. Ordinarily, if a rider falls within 3km of the finish, they take the same time as those next to them at the time, to avoid late collisions costing GC contenders big chunks of time.
Because there’s an uphill finish, it doesn’t apply, so any GC contender tumbling at the foot of the final climb could be in big trouble. That in turn means the leading men’s teams will all be fighting for pole position on the narrow run into Cherbourg. It could get very messy.
Top banana
If you’re emerging from a Wimbledon/Euros/Brexit haze and missed all the fun yesterday, here’s a quick roundup from day one:
The leading quartet – Voss, Stuyven, Breen and Benedetti – now lead by six minutes. They’re currently negotiating a real ramp through the streets of Coutances, after which it’s downhill all the way to the coast.
The men tangled up in that collision are racing to catch the peloton, including Contador. They’re a minute behind, but there’s no need to panic. Tony Martin and Astana’s Angel Vicioso, the last to get back on his bike, were also involved.
The very second I tip Matthews for the finish, he’s caught up in a crash in the pack that’s big on numbers, if not long-term damage. Others involved include Marcel Kittel, Warren Barguil, Joaquim Rodríguez and, you guessed it, Alberto Contador. All are fine to continue and rejoin the peloton, but it’s not been the Spaniard’s Tour so far.
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Peter Sagan has finished in the top ten 26 times(!) since his last Tour win, at Albi in 2013. He’s the favourite for today’s finish, but the likes of Michael Matthews, Simon Gerrans and Alejandro Valverde will also fancy that steep uphill finish.
On classic Tour jerseys, you simply cannot go wrong with this 80s effort, worn by La Vie Claire frenemies Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault (and if you haven’t seen Slaying the Badger, please do).
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The riders have covered just over 50km, with Stuyven taking the single point on offer at Montpichon. He’s level with Voss, who has rejoined the leading group, in the race for the polka-dot jersey. The race is set to descend towards the coast now, but there’s wind, rain, twists and turns ahead.
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Benedetti made an attack at the foot of Côte de Montpichon. Stuyven, and then Breen, have caught him, but Paul Voss remains adrift. The gamble for extra King of the Mountains points hasn’t panned out. In Cherbourg, the rain is apparently still falling, which could make for a nervous peloton in the latter stages. Here’s what Will Fotheringham thinks:
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Yellow jersey sporter Mark Cavendish also had a chat with TV cameras at the start of today’s race:
“It’s pretty special... I hope I can do it justice. I’ll try and defend it, but it’s unlikely. It’s a great day for my team, and for Africa, having the yellow jersey.”
Out on the road, they are inching towards the third of four climbs today, Côte de Montpinchon – the last comes right at the end of the race. The time difference is down to 4min 30sec.
Alberto Contador, speaking before today’s stage, seemed pretty pessimistic about his chances, saying he doesn’t feel good this morning, can’t sit comfortably on his bike, and is worried about losing time on the ramp finish today. Chin up, Alberto.
Referring to the clip from 1986, here’s a glorious piece of kit:
Suggestions for other top-drawer retro jerseys are, as always welcome.
The race leaders have covered 30km, and are maintaining a gap of 5min 30sec. Jasper Stuyven has passed over the top of Côte de Montabot in first place, and picks up a King of the Mountains point. Stuyven has won a Grand Tour stage before – Stage 8 of the 2015 Vuelta, winning a sprint finish despite breaking a bone in his wrist in an earlier crash.
Météo
It’s been a rainy morning in Normandy, but it’s eased off since the race began. It’s overcast and not especially warm, but the weather won’t cause any real problems until they hit the coastline in the second half of the race. The summary then – breezes.
The day’s first climb, Côte de Torigny-les-Villes, has been negotiated, with the breakaway opening up a five-minute gap on the peloton. Bora-Argon sent Paul Voss away with support, just like yesterday, but it didn’t work this time – it’s Norway’s Breen who takes the single King of the Mountains point on offer.
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An early breakaway in today’s race: four riders, including Paul Voss, have made their move and lead the peloton by 2min 30sec. Voss is in the polka-dot jersey, and will have a shot at three more points, with a trio of Category 4 climbs in the first half of the race. The other riders in the breakaway are: Cesare Benedetti (Bora), Vegard Breen (Fortuneo) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek).
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Yates will have fond memories of Cherbourg; the last time the race called here – in 1994, after the Tour had called at Dover, Brighton and Portsmouth, he ended a stage from Cherbourg to Rennes in the yellow jersey. Another current SD was the winner on the last stage finish in Cherbourg: Lampre’s Guido Bontempi, back in 1986.
Here are a few words, via the Tour’s official site, from Sean Yates, sporting director of the Tinkoff team. All eyes will be on two Tinkoff riders today – Peter Sagan, who somehow hasn’t won a stage since 2013, and Contador, who Yates sounds a little concerned about:
“Given the characteristics of the finale, it’s obviously a stage in which Peter [Sagan] should do well. He’s on form as he showed yesterday and there is a fair chance to win the stage and take the yellow jersey because I don’t think Cavendish or Kittel will be there. Peter was the world champion in similar conditions.
“Alberto is obviously sore but we hope there are still a number of days before the actual race begins. I’m convinced Chris Froome will finish in the top 10 today and you can’t afford to lose a couple of seconds here or there. So it will depend on how Alberto feels because injury takes a lot of energy for the body to heal.”
Here’s Andrew Benton with something to ponder while we wait for the race to get going:
“I’ve discovered a conundrum since Cav’s win yesterday... wondering if any MBM readers can help. Cav is from the Isle of Man, which is not part of the UK and has never joined the EU. But Isle of Man citizens are British subjects, as citizens of the British Islands, and have British passports, though not UK passports. How are UK-ness and Britishness related, and how did this weird situation come about?”
A bit of preliminary Googling suggests Andrew is right, and the same goes for the Channel Islands, which we’ll pass close to later today. Neither were involved in the EU referendum, the lucky devils. If you’re on any of the above islands, get in touch.
Where are we? We start today in Saint-Lô, one of only two department capitals yet to host the Tour (the other is Moulins, Allier, it says here). The town was almost completely destroyed by World War II bombings and battles – one American soldier is said to have ruefully remarked “we sure liberated the hell out of this place”.
Once ‘The Capital of the Ruins’, this small Norman town is now known as ‘Capital of the Horses’ – it’s the local epicentre of equestrian pursuits. Today, its first Tour visit is a stage start, before the peloton head south, over a cluster of Category 4 climbs, north along the peninsula, before finishing in the hills above Cherbourg. The race starts right about...
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Where were we? Alberto Contador’s tumble aside, yesterday’s opening stage had zero impact on the GC race – but in taking the yellow jersey, Mark Cavendish sent a significant ripple through the field, besting Peter Sagan, André Greipel and Marcel Kittel in a sprint royal to the line at Utah Beach. It sealed a 27th career stage win, a first ever stint in yellow. If you feel another Leicester coming on, he’s 4000-1 to hang onto it until Paris. In reality, he’ll be happy to hang onto it until Monday, but one thing’s for sure – Cav is back.
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Preamble
Hello! Time for round two of the 2016 Tour, the Empire Strikes Back of this year’s Grand Départ trilogy. Today’s route will join up the Manche department’s capital city, Saint-Lô, with its biggest town, the port of Cherbourg.
Between the two, riders will tackle a fiendish stage that runs along the western coastline which so nearly split the peloton on Saturday. The final few kilometres will provide a nerve-jangling finale, as riders sprint up a narrow, Category 3 ramp to the hilltop suburb of la Glacerie.
It’s a day that suits the uphill-inclined sprinter, but may also allow the more organised GC contenders to steal a few precious seconds. Whoever gets to the summit first could enjoy a few days in the yellow jersey for their efforts.
That honour today belongs to Mark Cavendish, who triumphed on stage one in a frantic finish to an anxious, attritional day. We could see more of the same this afternoon. The race begins at 11.40am BST, 12.40pm local.
