Vauquelin wins. Pogacar in yellow. The new general classification

Bologna, 30 June 2024 – La stage 2 of the Tour de France 2024 bring the caravan from Cesenatico a Bologna After 199,2 km e 6 GPM to face, including the double climb a Saint Luke: the second sees Kévin Vauquelin liquidate the rest of the morning’s escapees and go and win the stage, the second on Italian soil that curiously still smiles on a transalpine. Always on the second passage on the climb that leads to the sanctuary the skirmishes begin between Tadej Pogacar e Jonas Vingegaard: the first one fires a gunshot and the second one, as is now tradition, stays close behind. The two advance in agreement but in the end suffer the return from the rear of Remco Evenepoel e Richard Carapazwhile they remain delayed Primoz Roglic e Romain Bardet, who loses the yellow jersey after just one day. The symbol of primacy passes on the shoulders of Pogacaralbeit at the same time as most of the other big names in the ranking: for the Slovenian, again in yellow after the Granon Pass In the 2022, the best placings weigh. And who knows, the analogy with the Giro d’Italia 2024in which he had conquered the symbol of the primacy in the second fraction and then never lost it again. stage 3the Piacenza-Turindespite the length (230,8 kmlike no other in this Big loop) he 3 GPM to climb, all fourth category, will offer the first chance to the fast wheels of the group and a little (relative) rest to the others after the efforts of this Grand Départ.

The Chronicle

Ready, steady, go and the good escape starts, made up of Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ), Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech), Nelson Oliveira (Movistar Team), Kévin Vauquelin, Christian Rodriguez (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Mike Teunissen (Intermarché-Wanty), Bram Welten (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Jordan Jegat (Team TotalEnergies) e Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan Team), con Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) e Brent Van Moer (Lotto Dstny) in a bain-marie for a long time before giving up: Mark Cavendish (Astana Kazakhstan Team) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) instead immediately lose contact due to mechanical problems. The first climb of the day is the Monticino (2 km with an average slope of 7,5%), where the polka dot shirt passes first Abrahamsen. It touches little on the The Gallists (1,2 km with an average slope of 12,8%), with the Norwegian repeating himself without problems, this time at the photo finish, even at the flying finish of Dozza. Precisely at this point of the race, shortly after entering the racetrack Imolaconfusion is created in the group due to the crosswind, the change of speed and the desire of some sprinters to sprint anyway: all ingredients that contribute to the end on the asphalt Wout Van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) e Laurens More (Ineos Grenadiers), who all get away with abrasions and beatings. Precisely this fall causes the pace of the platoon to slow down further, delaying further 9′ by the pacesetters, who will therefore probably play for the success of the stage.

The tread group begins to lose compactness on the Zocca box office (1,9 km with an average slope of 6,9%), dove Abrahamsen continues to collect points for his polka dot shirt. Then it’s the turn of Montecalvo (2,7 km with an average slope of 7,7%), where Norwegian still prevails for a change. The entrance to the city of Bolognacomplete with the first crossing of the finish line, marks the change of pace of the group, which gets ready under the impulse of the Lotto Dstnyhalving the delay from the escapees. Then comes the first passage on the climb of Saint Luke (1,9 km with an average slope of 10,6%), dove Abrahamsen he climbs the top first in an increasingly smaller advance group under the impulse of the shots of Laurance before and Rodriguez then: in the meantime a ‘pretend’ in the group Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), who appears to attack before going to get two water bottles, calls Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) immediately respond together with the other big names. The second step also offers bonus seconds: first though Oliveira tries to extend his lead over his former escape companions, taking with him Vauquelin e Abrahamsen.

Meanwhile, the group attacks on the second passage over the finish line Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Odd Christian Eiking (Uno-X Mobility), Warren Barguil (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) e Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan Team). On the second step a Saint Luke snap Vauquelinflying towards victory: in the meantime the group breaks away Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), imitated shortly after by the yellow jersey Romain Bardet (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and the Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). On the Curva delle Orphanelle snap Pogacarpromptly rebuffed by Vineyard: the two exchange regularly with the aim of gaining as much as possible on the other men fighting for the general classification. The best behind them are Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) e Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), who complete the chase close to the finish line before the calculations start to shape the new general classification: the leader of the same becomes Pogacarwho returns in the yellow jersey after 2 years.

Stage 2 Tour de France 2024 arrival order

1) Kévin Vauquelin (ARK) in 4h43’42” 2) Jonas Abrahamsen (UXM) +36” 3) Quentin Pacher (GFC) +49” 4) Cristian Rodriguez (ARK) +49” 5) Harold Tejada (AST) +49” 6) Nelson Oliveira (MOV) +50” 7) Axel Laurance (ADC) +1’12” 8) Mike Teunissen (IWA) +1’33” 9) Hugo Houle (IPT ) +1’36” 10) Richard Carapaz (EFE) +2’21”

Tour de France 2024 General Classification

1) Tadej Pogacar (UAD) in 9h53’30” 2) Remco Evenepoel (SOQ) st 3) Jonas Vingegaard (TVL) st 4) Richard Carapaz (EFE) st 5) Romain Bardet (DFP) +6” 6) Maxim Van Gils (LTD) +21” 7) Egan Bernal (IGD) +21” 8) Pello Bilbao (TBV) +21” 9) Tom Pidcock (IGD) +21” 10) Giulio Ciccone (LTK) +21”