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BOLOGNA (ITALPRESS) – Kevin Vauquelin and Tadej Pogacar took center stage at the end of the second stage of the Tour de France 2024, held in Italy, from Cesenatico (with a tribute to Marco Pantani) to Bologna, for a total of 199.2 kilometers. The Frenchman of Arkea-B&B Hotels triumphed alone with a 36-second advantage over the Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), second, and with a margin of 49″ on another Frenchman, namely Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), third.
The yellow jersey of the race leader has passed from the shoulders of the transalpine Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) to those of Pogacar (UAE Emirates), author of the first success of this Grand Boucle. The Slovenian, already winner of the Giro d’Italia this year, animated the fight among the big names in the last 14 kilometers, on the climb of San Luca. Holding him off is the Danish Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), who has shown to be in good condition, despite the recent disastrous fall in the Basque Country.
The Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) took over the two champions at the end. Bardet, who won the first stage yesterday and started today with the yellow jersey on his shoulders, and the Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) were slightly behind. Same time now in the general classification for Pogacar, Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Carapaz, with the Slovenian new leader by virtue of the best placings obtained in these first two stages. Bardet is now fifth, 6″ behind; in the top ten, tenth, Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), at 21″.
Very happy at the end of the stage Vauquelin: “I knew I was in great shape and I wanted to try. It went well and I’m happy to have won. It was already an honor to be at the start of the Tour: it is now a source of great pride to have achieved success in this stage”.
The third stage is scheduled for tomorrow, again in Italy, from Piacenza to Turin, 230.8 kilometres, the longest of the 2024 yellow race.
– photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
