Tadej Pogacar emerged victorious on the second stage of the 111th Tour de France, taking over the yellow jersey from Romain Bardet. The race covered 199.2 kilometers from Cesenatico to Bologna, with Kevin Vauquelin winning the stage as a breakaway rider.
The challenges of Sunday’s stage included a steep climb up to the pilgrimage church in San Luca, which featured an average gradient of 10.6 percent over 1.9 kilometers and was completed twice. This test of strength among the top contenders saw Pogacar launching an attack that Vingegaard managed to match, while Remco Evenepoel also caught up with them on the descent.
The extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, posed difficulties for all riders on Sunday’s stage, including veteran rider Mark Cavendish who struggled to keep up with the peloton.
Looking ahead to Monday’s third stage from Piacenza to Turin, sprinters like Belgian Jasper Philipsen will have an opportunity for a mass finish. The route features mostly flat terrain but includes three fourth-category climbs scattered throughout its path.
