🚴 Tour de France 2018 | Stage 2 | Peter Sagan takes the Yellow Jersey with a brilliant bunch-sprint victory!
A crash in the final 2km, involving Quick-Step Floors' Fernando Gaviria, disrupted the action at the end of the 182.5km stage. Peter Sagan was able to swoop in and after a tough final sprint with both Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) & Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ), take the stage victory and with it the yellow jersey!
How did the action unfold?
Three riders made the breakaway after the flag drop, with Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie), Dion Smith (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) and Michael Gogl (Trek-Segafredo) going out at the front, with local team Direct Energie wanting to put on a good show for their local supporters.
The trio gained almost 3 minutes ahead of the early (after just under 30km) categorised climb on today's stage, and the New Zealander Dion Smith took the solitary KOM Classification point atop of Côte de Pouzages. Having gained the only KOM point on offer today, Smith was content with the day's proceedings and quickly fell back to the peloton. Gogl also left Frenchman Chavanel after a short while needing to seek attention at the medical car.
Chavanel seemed to stick to Direct Energie's plan and kept pushing as a lone breakaway rider and was not chased down until 50km or so to go, where he had then amassed a lead of over 4 and half minutes. With 40km to go, Quick-Step Floors and Dimension Data came to the fore and started pushing hard to reel him in - holding out until 14km to go.
Several crashes along today's stage with Tsgabu Grmay (Trek-Segafredo) having to abandon and a huge Team Astana star Luis Leon Sanchez also abandoning after crashing into a traffic island. Adam Yates also crashed with 30km to go and, not satisfied with riding on a teammates' bike, he was forced to make a change before catching back to the peloton.
Marcel Kittel had an unfortunate puncture with just over 7km to go and dropped out of contention for the stage victory as the German eased off the gas.
Quick-Step Floors took to the front and started to totally dominate with 2km to go, but unluckily were involved (partly caused) a crash on a sharp right-hand turn whereby current leader Fernando Gaviria hit the deck. With Julain Alaphilippe in the front pack and still on his wheels, the Quick-Step Floors lead out train didn't slow and attempted to catapult their GC contender into a claim for the bonus seconds on the line.
Arnaud Demare, caught up (not involved) behind the crash, got himself back into contention and after sitting on Alaphilippe's wheel, went flat out. It looked like Demare had the stage wrapped up but it appeared the Frenchman went too early and both Sagan and Collbrelli were able to pip him to 1st and 2nd respectively.
Was my prediction correct?
Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ | FRA)
Démare was very unlucky yesterday as he was caught up in the closing kilometres and decided not even to try and catch back up to the rest of the peloton. Expect to see the talented Frenchman attempting to make amends today. The uphill finish also suits his skill set and is probably the strongest rider out of all of them at grinding a high gear up a slight incline.
The technical finish also means that lead out trains could become very ineffective, so riders might have to 'go it their own' today. This might, however, suit Dylan Groenewegen (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) as he can sit on other riders wheels and swoop around them in an instant.
Stage & GC Rankings;
Stage 2 Result;
1 ) Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe | SVK) 4:06:37
2 ) Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida | ITA)
3 ) Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ | FRA)
4 ) Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal | GER)
5 ) Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates | NOR)
6 ) Timothy Dupont (Wanty-Groupe Gobert | BEL)
7 ) Alejandro Valverde (Movistar | ESP)
8 ) Andrea Pasqualon (Wanty-Groupe Gobert | ITA)
9 ) John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo | GER)
10 ) Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors | BEL)
GC Classification after Stage 2;
1 ) Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe | SVK) 8:29:53
2 ) Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors | COL) + 0:00:06
3 ) Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida | ITA) + 0:00:10
4 ) Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin | GER) + 0:00:12
5 ) Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie | FRA) + 0:00:13
6 ) Philippe Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors | BEL) + 0:00:14
7 ) Geraint Thomas (Team Sky | GBR) + 0:00:15
8 ) Oliver Naesen (AG2R La Mondiale | BEL) + 0:00:16
9 ) Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates | NOR)
10 ) John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo | GER)
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