Vauquelin wins second stage of Tour de France, yellow jersey for Pogacar

Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin has gained the second stage of the Tour de France. It was a stage from Cesenatico to Bologna over greater than 199 kilometers. Within the closing section, the riders needed to climb twice to the Basilica of San Luca. On the second crossing of the steep slope, the 23-year-old rider of Arkéa – B&B Inns left his final fellow escapees behind him. Of those, Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen got here second, forward of Frenchman Quentin Pacher.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Crew Emirates took over the yellow jersey from Romain Bardet. The Frenchman was unable to observe Pogacar and Dane Jonas Vingegaard within the chasing group on the final climb. The final of three levels on Italian soil follows on Monday. A mass dash is predicted in Turin.

Eleven riders managed to get away within the preliminary section, together with the Dutch Bram Welten and Mike Teunissen, Vauquelin and Abrahamsen, the wearer of the mountain jersey. They reached the primary slope of the day with an eight-minute lead. On the climb, Welten needed to let his fellow escapees go. Abrahamsen was the primary to cross the road, as he additionally did on the second and third slopes.

Whereas Abrahamsen continued to achieve factors for the mountain classification, Mathieu van der Poel needed to let the favourites for the stage win go within the peloton. With a lead of six minutes, the day’s success appeared sure for one of many escapees. However on the first end, with 36 kilometres to go, the distinction was nonetheless simply over 4 minutes. On the San Luca, the Frenchman Axel Laurence (Alpecin-Deceuninck) made a robust impression. Behind the ever-shrinking main group, the riders of Visma – Lease a Bike took the lead of the peloton. Amongst others, it value the Dutch inexperienced jersey wearer Frank van den Broek his place within the group of favourites.

Abrahamsen was the primary to succeed in the highest yet one more time and on the second crossing in Bologna the main group nonetheless had a lead of greater than three minutes. Abrahamsen, Vauquelin and the Portuguese Nelson Oliveira had separated themselves barely from the opposite seven. Vauquelin, who had beforehand been second within the Walloon Arrow this yr, used the second climb to the Basilica of San Luca to experience away.

Within the group of favorites, Pogacar attacked shortly beneath the highest. Vingegaard joined in, Bardet couldn’t observe. The illustrious pair thundered to the end, the place the yellow card awaited Pogacar. (AP)

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