Here’s Jeremy Whittle’s report from Mûr-de-Bretagne Guerlédan.
GC standings after stage two
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin - Fenix 8:57:25
2. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck - Quick-Step +8
3. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates +13 |
4. Primoz Roglic (SLO) Jumbo - Visma +14
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) BORA - hansgrohe +24
6. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious +26
7. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek - Segafredo
8. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education - Nippo
9. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Jumbo - Visma
10. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama - FDJ
For Ineos, Geraint Thomas is 41 seconds back, and it looks like Richard Carapaz is their main hope for GC. That team of four leaders dropped back to one after two stages? Ouch.
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Matthieu Van Der Poel, the yellow jersey, speaks.
I have no words, I don’t know what to say, For sure, I gambled a little bit, and isolate everyone for the climb. I gambled a little bit. I went on the first time because I knew I needed the bonus seconds if I wanted the jersey. It was my last chance to get it. I was thinking of my grandad of course.
What did you think when crossing the line?
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
"I thought of my Granddad of course" ♥️
À quoi tu as pensé quand tu as franchi la ligne ?
"À mon grand-père bien sûr" ♥️#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/V4uieKoQIv
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Stage 2 result
1. Van der Poel
2. Pogacar (+6)
3. Roglic (+6)
4. Kelderman (+6)
5. Alaphilippe (+8)
6. Mollema
7. Vinegaaard
8. Higuita
9. Latour
10. Haig.
That was a piece of history, and only Van Der Poel’s second day ever on the Tour. He will be in Tokyo next month to try and win mountain-biking gold. He looks as if he could play a huge part in Le Tour this year. The riders he left in his wake are the crème de la crème of road cycling. It does seem, though, that GC could be between the conjoined pair of Roglic and Pogacar.
Mathieu van der Poel is, of course, the grandson of Raymond Poulidor, the most beloved French cyclist of all. That was an incredible ride. He dominated the rest of the field, on both climbs of the Mûr.
Mathieu van der Poel takes the second stage!
Colbrelli goes off the front and Van Der Poel comes after him. He looks in unbelievable form, and powers along and will take the yellow jersey. Where is Alaphilippe? He can’t react. Van Der Poel devastated them. Pogacar and Roglic are second and third. Geraint Thomas has to bring in a second group. Van Der Poel will be in yellow, and he took 26 seconds off that Thomas group. That was brutal.
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1km to go: Pogacar following Ineos up there. Theuns back up the front and Porte looks very strong as he leads them up. Quintana has a dig and Van Der Poel gives chase.
1.5km to go: Pogacar sitting off the lead and Alpecin go off the front, as Richie Porte tries to bring them back for Ineos.
2km to go: Van der Poel, Van Aert all there, with Alaphilippe involved too. Ineos take the field over the Mûr, and they go hard.
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3km to go: A few instructions laid out as Geoghan Hart drops back as they approach that final climb. Michał Kwiatkowski putting the power down for Team Ineos.
4km to go: Warren Barguil, the local lad, is in there, as we wait for the grand sprint up the climb. Alpecin taking up the strain at the front. Tao Geoghan Hart leads up for Ineos.
6km to go: Ineos continue to take the lead, and the pack splits into two, like the 2000 Guineas. Two trains on either side of the road.
7km to go: Roglic isolated on this steep incline? Perhaps. The GC contenders are all in place.
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8km to go: Mûr-de-Bretagne approaches for the final time. Team Ineos sit at the front, trying to out-tactic the rest.
9km to go: Here’s where those bonus seconds went.
⛰ First passage at Mûr-de-Bretagne with the time bonuses!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
⛰ Premier passage sur la ligne d'arrivée à Mûr-de-Bretagne avec les secondes de bonification !
⏱ 8'' for @mathieuvdpoel
5'' for @TamauPogi
2'' for @rogla#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/F2hsx0zrcD
10km to go: The descent down to the final ascent, and this looks like it could be a big one. Pogacar looks in serious form but so did Roglic too. The teams try and group themselves together for that final climb.
12km: Off we go up the Mûr, and the favourites are on the way. Mathieu van der Poel and Van Aert in the mix. So is Alaphilippe, and Pogacar is involved too. Most of the favourites are involved. Van der Poel went away, and took the eight seconds, and then Pogacar takes five and Roglic two. Alaphilippe was burned off though was perhaps keeping his powder dry for the final ascent of the Mûr.
💪🇳🇱@mathieuvdpoel attacks in the first climb of Mûr-de-Bretagne!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
💪 Attaque de 🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel dans la première ascension de Mûr-de-Bretagne !#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/5IQDwZAvX2
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16km to go: Alistair O’Connor gets in touch: “Regarding Ineos and its years of dominance, let me contrast Quickstep. Masters of one-day races, not competitive for winning the big Tours. A deliberate strategy according to boss Lefevre, who effectively says you can’t win the Tour and be clean...in reply to James Cavell : I have no wish to ruin anyone’s life, but note that the young woman did a runner. I think it’s better for her in the long run to be held to account for her act than to get away with it. That could really mess you up.”
18km to go: Theuns gets eaten up, his lead dropping to 15 seconds to almost nothing as he tries to gain the single point from this climb. Then down to ten seconds. Alaphilippe is on the front of the pack as a hairpin turn is made. Theuns takes the point, and kisses the air in acknowledgement of the crowd. Chris Froome drops off the back. The pace is too heavy for him.
🔚 End of the breakaway for @EdwardTheuns. Great ride today!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
🔚 Fin de l'échappée pour Edward Theuns. Beau numéro aujourd'hui !#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/kIffUn6jVo
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20km to go: Theuns decides to get rid of Cabot in a final fling of the breakaway. The Mûr‑de‑Bretagne approaches and so does all the fun.
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23km to go: James C gets in touch. “Dave Brailsford would almost certainly point to training as mission critical to Ineos success. However, once you have signed multiple riders with the proven ability to climb and TT at around 6 watts per kilogram, training is just making sure they are peaking for the Tour. The riders can probably do that themselves as well as any coach. In any case it’s as much about schedule (racing as training) and recovery as it is about time spent training. A massive budget and elite roster helps enormously with this.”
Meanwhile, Mark Cavendish has been working hard for Deceuninck–Quick-Step, the team of the Julian Alaphilippe. Showing willing here will help him on the sprints to come.
25km to go: Those bonus seconds explained by our friends at Eurosport.
The first of two ascents of the Cote de Menehiez outside Mur-de-Bretagne will have a special bonus sprint on the summit with 8-5-2 bonus seconds up for grabs. There are also 10-6-4 bonus seconds at the finish for the top three. So we could potentially see a change in the standings today with 18 seconds up for grabs.
The gap is dropping down to one minute and the likes of Tony Martin are pulling the peloton along. Seems his heavy fall yesterday was just a scratch.
30km to go: Things seem to be speeding up down the narrow Breton lanes. The second climb coming up, the cat 3, has bonus seconds on offer. So some jockeying for position. The peloton is revving itself up. This could be a chaotic last 30 clicks. And a nervous 30km, too.
40km to go: The Ineos train is Luke Rowe at the front with Geraint Thomas and Richard Carapaz off the back. Tim Declerq leads the Deceuninck–Quick-Step team featuring Julian Alaphilippe. Côte du village de Mûr-de-Bretagne, not to be confused with the town of Mûr-de-Bretagne, approaches. Ducks are being placed in a row.
45km to go: Cabot and Theuns continue to forge away, the gap now at two minutes and seven seconds. The next climb is another category 4, followed by a category 3, and the finish is another category 3. The peloton speeds through another picturesque Breton town.
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50km to go: Ed McGuigan gets in touch on the Ineos question: “Their dominance is based largely on budget isn’t it? It will cease when the sponsor pulls the plug. In these days of super billionaires, the budgets of cycling teams are inconsequential so this could run and run.”
Dave Brailsford et al may point to training techniques. And others will have further opinions.
55km to go: The crowd is getting a little too close for comfort in the small town of Pledran, twinned with Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. A couple of the riders asking that the crowd spread out. A few nerves after yesterday’s pile-ups.
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60km to go: Andrew Benton gets in touch: “I’m hopeful that Ineos have had their day (decade) in the sun, it’s really time for others to shine. I saw three stages of the Tour of Britain in 2018 when Alaphilippe won - if he gets solid team support and a bit of luck, there’s no reason he can’t win the Tour, I think.”
Theuns is up the front, with Cabot back in his company, the gap around 1’ 35”. The rest have been pulled back into the peloton.
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67km to go: Theuns takes this climb, burning off Schelling and Perez, and there’s a big crowd as he goes over the top to claim the solitary point on offer. Simon Clarke is second, and Schelling and Perez are pulled back into the peloton as is a slowing Clarke. His day is done.
The attack has paid off for 🇧🇪@EdwardTheuns, as he reaches the Côte de Saint-Brieuc summit first!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
L'attaque a payé puisque 🇧🇪@EdwardTheuns prend le seul point distribué au sommet de la Côte de Saint-Brieuc. #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/uKg2rY24kq
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70km to go: A reminder of yesterday’s carnage. The climb they are taking on now - Saint-Brieuc - is that which did for Chris Boardman in the 1995 prologue. He crashed in the mizzle and smashed himself up good and proper.
This just came in... scary that six of their riders crashed twice https://t.co/k8noIMwyuZ
— William Fotheringham (@willfoth) June 26, 2021
75 km to go: Cameron Amess hits back: “I think it’s hogwash that interest in a sport means wanting to see less of its fans. Football games’ atmospheres are improved enormously by their presence. Admittedly, they’re kept at a safe distance. I love to see enthusiasm for any sport, people just need to act with some common sense.”
James Cavell says: “am concerned there is an unnecessary and potentially life-ruining campaign against the foolish young woman who caused yesterday’s crash.
“Yes, it was her fault. But she didn’t mean to do it and people have done far worse and not been named and shamed, arrested etc. Drivers who are part of pro bike race organization have driven into riders and only last week in the US a motorist drive into an amateur race, possibly out of malice.
“Before I provoke the ‘you don’t know about cycling’ etc response from outraged fans I feel I should point out that a decade or so ago I rode two seasons ‘elite without contract’ in the Low Countries and was once in a crash caused by an unleashed dog running into the peloton and another when a drunk jumped over the barriers during an inner city criterium.
“I understand that fans of cycling are incredibly privileged to be able to get so close to the athletes. It works both ways though, cyclists are also privileged to do their sport on public roads, where far worse accidents happen every day. Let’s use this incident to educate fans, not have a good old social media pile-on in which a young life could be ruined over a momentary act of silliness.”
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80km to go: Schelling goes after a Perez attempt to break away, with Koch for company. as the break splits into two groups of three. Cat and mouse being played amid a group that probably won’t be together for too much longer. And a battle royale at the top as Schelling hangs on grimly to pull himself past Perez. He gave it everything and takes the points to add to his mountain points for now. Jonas Koch is in third.
And the peloton come after them, with 11km to the next climb.
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85km to go: It’s wet out there now, the capes are on, and that may present a risk on the small descent that follows the cat 4 climb being undertaken soon, the Côte de Pordic, 2.1km of ascent. The village they are travelling past was once the holiday home of Marie Curie and Aldous Huxley, we are informed.
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90km to go: The field is closing in on itself at a 1’ 20” gap and going much faster than before, as a cat 4 climb approaches. A feeding zone flies past with the riders stocking up and gel packages and empty drinks vessels are launched across the road as nutrition is taken on. It’s also raining, but in warm conditions.
98km to go: Theuns takes the sprint with some ease, and takes the cash. For the minor points, the main sprinters line up. Demare, Ewan in there, and Ewan takes the highesst points of the chasing pack. Mark Cavendish was in the mix too, and that was promising from him. He shares a fist bump with his team.
💚 🇧🇪 @EdwardTheuns is the first at the intermediate sprint after a brief battle with 🇩🇪 @jonaskoch3
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
💚 🇧🇪 @EdwardTheuns passe en tête au sprint intermédiaire devant 🇩🇪 @jonaskoch3.#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/j2OcnKdMqq
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100km to go: The gap is under three minutes and dropping as the intermediate sprint arrives in the next few clicks. There’s cash on offer for the winner of the sprint from the breakaway group of six. In the peloton the sprint teams are pushing forward. Michael Matthews, in green, is to the forefront as is Caleb Ewan. Ide Schelling is in third in the embryonic green jersey table.
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110km to go: And now the gap is back out to three minutes as the breakaway group go towards Côte de Sainte-Barbe, and Ide Schelling will be chasing the mountain points. Back in the pack, Tim DeClerc, of Deceuninck-QuickStep is leading the way, as he so often does.
And Schelling misses out on the single point on offer as Perez takes it with a sprint. Then Schelling goes out on the counter, as if angry at missing out.
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120km to go: The weather is typically Breton, a bit of rain and a bit of shine, and the breakaway is down to 1’ 20”. Seems the peloton fancies some mountain points and the sprint that follows. An edge of desperation among the breakaway crew?
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125km to go: The breakaway is 3’ 39” clear, and staying that way for now. There’s a cat 4 climb to come soon, and a sprint to follow after that, as the field travels through the coastal town of Tréguier, famed for, per wiki
Count Stephen of Tréguier was the second Earl of Richmond inheriting the British peerage created by William the Conqueror for his second cousin Alan Rufus.
A later Earl of Richmond was Henry Tudor, as in Henry VII. Educational stuff, right?
135km to go: Team Ineos chat: Richie Porte, third in last year’s Tour, finished 2’ 16” down, and Tao Geoghegan Hart, last year’s winner of the Giro, is 5’ 33 down, which leaves Richard Carapaz and Geraint Thomas as co-leaders for now after that crash. Thomas spoke after a difficult day.
It was a solid day, stressful. We had a few crashes and obviously that big crash at the end. I had no idea who was in it. It ended up Richie being in it which wasn’t great, but I was just concentrating on staying on the bike. Gutted for Richie and Tao both crashing or being held up.
Meanwhile, the woman who caused the first crash by stepping across Tony Martin is still unidentified, and is wanted for leaving the scene of an accident. As starts to the Tour go, it has to be one of the craziest.
Updated
140km to go: British cycling has been at the top for a decade or so now, but that may be about to change. Important piece from Jeremy Whittle here.
150km to go: The gap is at 3’ 45” but the main teams in the peloton are now at work to make sure that doesn’t get extended too much further.
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155km to go: Gary Naylor is back. “I hope yesterday was a tipping point for the race commissaires. They cannot wait to DQ a sprinter in the rough and tumble of the last kilometre of a stage, but seem happy to have broadcasters pander to roadside egomaniacs who put riders in real danger.”
The gap approaches 3 minutes as Franck Bonnamour cycles through Lannion, his home town, to applause from his locals. And there’s also the sound of Breton bagpipes, too. What a delight on a Sunday lunchtime.
😊 Nice moment for Franck Bonnamour, at home in Lannion.
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
😊 @FranckBonnamour est chez lui à Lannion et profite pleinement du passage du #TDF2021 chez lui ! pic.twitter.com/LX1SEjw0aG
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160km to go: We have a breakaway of six, Edward Theuns (Trek-Segafredo), Anthony Perez (Cofidis), Simon Clarke (Qhubeka) and Jonas Koch (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert), Ide Schelling (Bora) and Jérémy Cabot of Team TotalEnergies. The gap is around the 1’ 55” mark, and they will be allowed to extend that. Tony Martin and Marc Hirschi, both whom went a over t yesterday, are deep in conversation as the peloton settles down.
165km to go: Belated news of a fourth abandonment, with Movistar’s Marc Soler out after breaking bones in both arms. He managed to finish yesterday’s stage, too. Amazing.
Confirmamos que @solermarc93 ha sufrido fracturas en las dos cabezas de radio y la cabeza del cúbito izquierdo tras caída en el #TDF2021. ¡Ánimo!
— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) June 26, 2021
We sadly confirm Marc Soler has fractured both arms' radial heads and his left ulnar head after today's @letour. Get well soon, mate!
170km to go: There’s a mini breakaway already in session, ten km since the départ. Edward Theuns, the Belgian, and Simon Clarke, the Australian, are up there. At the back, Movistar’s Miguel Angel Lopez, who lost time yesterday, began his day by chasing the peloton to get back on its tail. He’s not had a happy weekend so far.
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Gary Naylor gets in touch: “The more interested you are in a sport, the less you want to see of its fans. But broadcasters, nervously keen to flatter their viewers, force feed us the canard that fans make the sport - they don’t. Keep the cameras on the stars at the TdF, Wimbledon Euros etc.”
To be fair, Gal, we couldn’t really avoid seeing fans yesterday.
Here’s another victim of yesterday’s prangs, Marc Hirschi of UAE Team Emirates, who dislocated his shoulder but is still carrying on.
From his team:
Medical Update : After his crash yesterday @MarcHirschi had considerable pain in the night with his shoulder. After consultation with the medical staff this morning, he will try to start stage 2 today.
Marc Hirschi, having separated his shoulder yesterday, with modified setup (brake levers skew-whiff), makes his way to sign on #LeTour2021 pic.twitter.com/MibyL61XcZ
— The Cycling Podcast (@cycling_podcast) June 27, 2021
And they’re off.
🚩We're off!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
🚩C'est parti !#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/qtQlo5gA7s
The race is almost afoot.
⌛️Countdown...#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/nZxeCL3eiQ
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 27, 2021
And yesterday’s stage one report by Jeremy Whittle.
Recommended reading: William Fotheringham on Alaphilippe and Hinault.
Looks like Chris Froome will be soldiering on, brave man.
Three riders were forced to abandon after yesterday: Germany’s Jasha Sutterlin (Team DSM), Lithuania’s Ignatas Konovalovas (Groupama-FDJ) and Frenchman Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels p/b KTM).
And a few GC contenders lost serious time. Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) is five minutes back and Miguel Angel Lopez (Movistar) is already 1’49 back. Froome was almost 15 minutes back.
Stage 1 of @LeTour #TDF2021
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 27, 2021
What a day 🥴 pic.twitter.com/YBhM60PFBJ
Ready for round 2 👊 of @LeTour 👍 #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/xmGlM87zMj
— Chris Froome (@chrisfroome) June 27, 2021
Preamble
Saturday was, as someone else just described it to me, “properly nuts”, one of the ultimate demonstrations of the “Tour is the Tour”. All that prep out the window as two crashes throws everything into flux. Chris Froome, even if he appears to be using this year’s Tour as a training ride, looked to be out of the race completely after his fall around 10km out, but the signs are he will continue. We await news of any other abandonments ahead of what is a flat stage that finishes on something of an incline. Another one for Julian Alaphilippe? C’est possible, though the sprinters will want to have a day of it. One tip for the stage is Mark Cavendish, back in after three years away. Let’s see shall we?
Here’s how William Fotheringham described today’s stage.
Stage two, Sunday 27 June, Perros-Guirec – Mûr-de-Bretagne 183.5km
More little climbs for a first reshuffle of the overall contenders. Again it’s Alaphilippe’s favoured terrain – another short, steeper ascent to the finish – but the Mur is tackled twice, the first time with 17km to go. Another favourite will be the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, cycling’s most exciting talent, who is making his Tour debut. The contest to be at the front for the climb is as daunting as the ascent itself; a crash or puncture will be costly. Earlier, the race visits [Bernard] Hinault’s old stamping ground of Saint-Brieuc, and the Badger would definitely have relished this finish.
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