Co-favorite Tadej Pogačar has taken over the yellow jersey of the leader in the overall standings of the Tour de France from Frenchman Romain Bardet, who won the first stage to Rimini on Saturday. The two-time Tour winner from Slovenia attacked from the field of favorites on the final climb in Bologna, and only defending champion Jonas Vingegaard was able to follow him.
The day’s winner on the second stage from Cesenatico to Bologna over almost 200 kilometers was the Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin, who had broken away from the main field early on in a large breakaway group. The best German rider was Georg Zimmermann from Augsburg in 59th place.
The climb to the pilgrimage church of San Luca, which was completed twice, was the first test of strength between the big stars. Pogačar attacked on the climb with an average gradient of 10.6 percent over 1.9 kilometers, but Vingegaard was able to stay on his rear wheel. On the descent, time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel from Belgium caught up with the two top favorites again.
After the second stage, Pogačar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Olympic champion Richard Carapaz from Ecuador are all in the top four places in the overall rankings; due to his better daily placings, the Slovenian wears the yellow jersey. His predecessor Romain Bardet follows six seconds behind.
Roglič cannot follow Pogačar
The top riders of the ambitious German team Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe – Primož Roglič, Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov – had to let go on the climb to San Luca and each lost 21 seconds in the overall ranking. The leader in the mountain classification remains the Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen, who also won the green jersey for the best points scorer. The French stage winner Kévin Vauquelin takes over the white jersey for the best young professional.
Tour de France
more on the subject
Z+ (subscription content); Tour de France: Everything you need to know about the start of the Tour de France
Z+ (subscription required content); Tour de France: Tormented into Heaven
Z+ (subscription required); Cycling race: Mark Cavendish takes part in the Tour de France for the 15th time
On Monday, the sprinters have their first chance of a mass finish after the many meters of elevation at the weekend. The third stage of the Tour de France over 230.8 kilometers from Piacenza to Turin leads over flat terrain, with only three small climbs to be overcome. In 2023, the Belgian Jasper Philipsen won four stages and took the green jersey for the best point scorer in Paris. The German sprinters Phil Bauhaus and Pascal Ackermann only have outside chances.
Co-favorite Tadej Pogačar has taken over the yellow jersey of the leader in the overall standings of the Tour de France from Frenchman Romain Bardet, who won the first stage to Rimini on Saturday. The two-time Tour winner from Slovenia attacked from the field of favorites on the final climb in Bologna, and only defending champion Jonas Vingegaard was able to follow him.
The day’s winner on the second stage from Cesenatico to Bologna over almost 200 kilometers was the Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin, who had broken away from the main field early on in a large breakaway group. The best German rider was Georg Zimmermann from Augsburg in 59th place.
