BOLOGNA (ITALPRESS) – Kevin Vauquelin and Tadej Pogacar took center stage at the end of the second stage of the 2024 Tour de France, held in Italy, from Cesenatico (with homage to Marco Pantani) to Bologna, for a total of 199.2 kilometers . The Frenchman from Arkea-B&B Hotels triumphed solo with 36 seconds ahead of Norwegian Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), second, and with a margin of 49″ over another transalpine, Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), third.
The yellow jersey of race leader passed from the shoulders of the transalpine Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) to those of Pogacar (UAE Emirates), author of the first high note of this Grand Boucle. The Slovenian, already winner of the Giro d’Italia this year, animated the fight between the big names in the last 14 kilometres, on the San Luca climb. The Danish Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) kept him going, demonstrating that he is 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″.
Vauquelin was very happy at the end of the stage: “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: now it is a source of great pride to have achieved success in this stage.”
Tomorrow is the third stage, again in Italy, from Piacenza to Turin, of 230.8 kilometers, the longest of the yellow race in 2024.
– photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
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