Tour de France: Stage 2 – Cavendish

World Champion Mark Cavendish has won stage 2 of the Tour de France, his 21st victory in the race , sixth on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx and just one stage behind Lance Armstrong.

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(Photos from Rob Lampard of Velostars who produce Great t-shirts to celebrate Great British cyclists)

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With his team looking after yellow jersey hopeful Bradley Wiggins, Cavendish had the experience to know which wheels to follow in a very fast and hectic finale where the front of the bunch was covering a kilometre in 53 seconds. In the past, Cavendish has had his team to shepard him to the last 300 metres before he strutted his stuff but today was different.

The rider wearing the rainbow stripes had to go from one wheel to another, picking out the riders he knew would be good to follow and play a game of steeping stones;, going from Oscar Freire’s wheel before then using the Greenedge train to take him to his next stop, the rear wheel of Andre  Grepiel. All this at 45 mph with twenty or thirty riders switching from left to right all around him.

Photo: Rob Lampard (Velostars)

Video of the stage

The team with the best lead out was Lotto who set it up for their man Andre Grepiel who launched himself down the right-hand side of the road but on his wheel was the Manx missile who jumped to the left of Grepiel and with a lunge at the line, won it by a wheel from the big German. Australian Matt Goss was third.

Mark Cavendish said afterwards: “As you can see, it was close. Normally I win by… ah, bike lengths, but today I had to lunge for the line. It wasn’t too easy.”

“I told Edvald with 5 to go to do his own thing as we haven’t worked enough together, it was so hectic out there. If it had just been sprinters it would have been okay but there was every single type of rider up there, climbers, GC etc that I’d rather just go alone.”

Bernie Eisel kept me there in the beginning but the team are here for the yellow jersey so I knew it was going to be difficult, dangerous, and I came here without any pressure. I could be just plucky about it. In the past I have had a team with me to control it and keep me out of trouble. I’m a realist and if I had a team I knew I’d win it but when its like this when I’m kind of a bonus rider, I just have to be plucky.”

I saw Freier and I know he’s always up there in the last k and I stayed there and it was quite perfect. I know the finish from Franco Belge and knew what the wind was doing and I knew you could come from behind here.”

“It wasn’t as windy as I thought it was going to be and that didn’t play as much of a factor. It’s been a good start to the race for the team. Brad stayed out of trouble and hopefully he can continue on towards yellow. We’re here to win the yellow jersey. I’m here to do what I did today. I’ve been on the back foot but I’ve been more relaxed than ever coming into this Tour de France as the pressure hasn’t been there for me to do anything. [A win] doesn’t give me any more confidence as it’s never easy to win a Tour de France stage, with a team or on your own.”

Sean Yates, Team Sky Sports Director: “For the umpteenth time he’s proven that he’s the man to beat. He found the right wheel heading into the finish and you know if you give him half a chance and without bad luck, invariably he will strike. It was a tough finish today. We kept Bradley safe towards the front with Mark also up there. It was a finish typical of the first week of the Tour with all the GC guys up there with the sprinters. It was a perfect scenario for us as we have retained second place overall for Bradley and the guys are riding well together.”

The Race

As with most stages, there was the early break which didn’t come as early as normal. It wasn’t until 22 kilometres had passed under their wheels, Anthony Roux (FDJ) made his bid for freedom. Two other riders soon bridged up to him, the rider in the polka-dot jersey Michael Morkov (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) and Christophe Kern (Europcar) who had become a father in the hours before the race.
Kern was the best placed on GC before the stage, ranked 94th overall 2’01” behind Cancellara and whilst they were given some freedom, their lead never went beyond eight minutes before the sprint teams started to get organised with still 100k to go.

Lotto-Belisol, Orica-GreenEdge and Argos-Shimano each sent a rider each to the front of the bunch to reel the break in with their eyes on the intermediate sprint. The teams were aware of how important this intermediate sprint was going to be for the riders looking to win the Green jersey and were trying to bring the break back to get maximum points.

That didn’t happen though and Kern led the escapees over the intermediate sprint line and collected 20 points whilst in the peloton it was Orica-GreenEdge’s Aussie Matt Goss who led the peloton over the line in Soignies two minutes after the escapees.

The pace then eased a little before out front, Roux attacked and went solo out. Dangling within sight of the of the peloton, Roux was never going to hold on to his lead but a look at the pace in the peloton as three or more sprint trains formed at the head of the peloton showed the Frenchman was certainly shifting as he continued to stay clear. He did get caught eventually but at least had the reward of the combativity prize for his efforts.

The race for the stage win was then on as teams tried to boss the front of the peloton and the one who did that best was BMC who’s goal was simply to deliver their GC rider and last years winner Cadel Evans to the finish as safe as possible. Just about every team in the peloton had someone on the front of the peloton at some stage of the final 10km of the 207.5km race from Vise to Tournai but Sky was relatively anonymous in the final rush to the line.

Instead it was Lotto-Belisol and Orica-GreenEdge that had the strength of numbers in the final kilometre. Kiwi Greg Henderson charged to the front and delivered André Greipel to the 250 metre to go mark and that’s when the giant German turned up the gas and very nearly claimed his second Tour stage win. The winner in the Tour of Britain before took the right hand side of the road down the barriers but lurking ominously on his wheel was Cavendish who timed his sprint to perfection. His victory makes it 21 stage wins in six years for the reigning world champion and, like he did in 2009, he got the Tour off to the perfect start.

It may have only been about the final dash to the line but within the story of who would win the stage were many sub plots. Whilst BMC and Sky took care of their GC riders (special mention to big George Hincapie for his fantastic effort) , the Argos team did well to first get on the front before realising their sprinter Kittell was ill. They then had to switch to plan B and look after Veelers and they did that so well, that the young rider in his first Tour finished fourth on the stage.

Then there was the can he or not sprint — Peter Sagan. He certainly can but after having been dismissed by Cav as not being a challenger in a flat sprint, Sagan, winner of stage 1, was certainly in there mixing it with the best sprinters and finishing 6th.

Then finally, the TV pictures also showed the riding wounded, Tony Martin and Sanchez, dropping off the back in the closing stages, staying out of the hussle and bussle of the sprint to ensure their battered bodies and broken wrists didn’t get damaged any more…  Martin afterwards explained “My feeling was not too bad, even if it was painful sometimes. The problem was when the road gets really bad and bumpy, there was small hits on the hand. It was a bit hard for me to control the bike, to brake and to have a stable position. So, today I survived, but I am concerned about tomorrow. I will also try to change a little bit the set-up of my bike to find a more comfortable position for my hand.”

The mountain stages certainly have their stories but so do the sprint stages and this one today was no exception…. In a way, compared to all the goings on in that final 20k, that final 200 metres was almost an anti-climax … almost ….

After the podium presentation for his third yellow jersey in Monday’s stage two of the Tour de France, race leader Fabian Cancellara was greeted by King Albert II of Belgium. And just what did ‘Spartacus’ say to the King?

“I let him know how much we’d appreciated riding in Belgium these past three days,” said Fabian Cancellara after stage 2 ended in Tournai, Belgium, bringing an end to the peloton’s time outside of France. “I also told him that the cycling fans and reception from the Belgian public is the best anywhere.”

“Our objective was to bring the jersey to the finish without crashing. We spent the least amount of energy possible but the finish was still pretty intense and hard. It wasn’t my best day but I look forward to tomorrow having a good day again and defending the jersey for another day. I tried to race relaxed today but that’s not always easy. The pace gets pretty high but that’s normal in the Tour de France. You just have to be in the front with a final like that.”

“There are always things going on when you have the yellow jersey. Whether it’s at the end of the race or in the morning in the hotel, you are responsible for a lot of things. It’s enjoyable of course but it takes away from other rest.”

Photos from Thomas van Bracht

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Result

1 Mark Cavendish Sky Procycling 04:56:59
2 Andre Greipel Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
3 Matthew Goss Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
4 Tom Veelers Argos-Shimano @ same time
5 Alessandro Petacchi Lampre – ISD @ same time
6 Peter Sagan Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
7 Yauheni Hutarovich Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
8 Juan Jose Haedo Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
9 Mark Renshaw Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
10 Tyler Farrar Garmin – Sharp @ same time
11 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil Movistar Team @ same time
12 S̩bastien Hinault Ag2R РLa Mondiale @ same time
13 Peter Velits Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
14 Kenny Van Hummel Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
15 Yukiya Arashiro Europcar @ same time
16 Oscar Gomez Freire Katusha Team @ same time
17 Borut Bozic Astana Pro Team @ same time
18 Bernhard Eisel Sky Procycling @ same time
19 Edvald Boasson Hagen Sky Procycling @ same time
20 Koen De Kort Argos-Shimano @ same time
21 Andrey Kashechkin Astana Pro Team @ same time
22 Maarten Tjallingii Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
23 Brett Lancaster Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
24 Ruben Perez Moreno Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
25 Egoi Martinez De Esteban Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
26 Gregory Henderson Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
27 Davide Malacarne Europcar @ same time
28 Marco Marcato Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
29 Bauke Mollema Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
30 Steven Kruijswijk Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
31 Danilo Hondo Lampre – ISD @ same time
32 Maarten Wynants Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
33 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
34 Robert Gesink Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
35 Julien Fouchard Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
36 Jurgen Van Den Broeck Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
37 J̩rome Coppel Saur РSojasun @ same time
38 Jean-marc Marino Saur – Sojasun @ same time
39 Christopher Froome Sky Procycling @ same time
40 Bram Tankink Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
41 Tejay Van Garderen BMC Racing Team @ same time
42 Sylvain Chavanel Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
43 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa Movistar Team @ same time
44 Anthony Delaplace Saur – Sojasun @ same time
45 Fabian Cancellara RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
46 Kanstantsin Siutsou Sky Procycling @ same time
47 Matthieu Ladagnous Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
48 Janez Brajkovic Astana Pro Team @ same time
49 Ryder Hesjedal Garmin – Sharp @ same time
50 Alessandro Vanotti Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
51 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
52 Nicolas Roche Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
53 Jorge Azanza Soto Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
54 Andr̩as Kl̦den RadioShack РNissan @ same time
55 Andriy Grivko Astana Pro Team @ same time
56 Denis Menchov Katusha Team @ same time
57 Johan Vansummeren Garmin – Sharp @ same time
58 Rob Ruijgh Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
59 Dominik Nerz Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
60 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo Movistar Team @ same time
61 Wout Poels Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
62 Yaroslav Popovych RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
63 Vladimir Gusev Katusha Team @ same time
64 Grega Bole Lampre – ISD @ same time
65 Christophe Riblon Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
66 George Hincapie BMC Racing Team @ same time
67 Lieuwe Westra Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
68 Bradley Wiggins Sky Procycling @ same time
69 S̩bastien Minard Ag2R РLa Mondiale @ same time
70 Luca Paolini Katusha Team @ same time
71 Eduard Vorganov Katusha Team @ same time
72 Jean-christophe Peraud Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
73 Maxime Monfort RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
74 Michele Scarponi Lampre – ISD @ same time
75 Mickael Cherel Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
76 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
77 Simone Stortoni Lampre – ISD @ same time
78 Cadel Evans BMC Racing Team @ same time
79 Simon Gerrans Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
80 Imanol Erviti Ollo Movistar Team @ same time
81 Guillaume Levarlet Saur – Sojasun @ same time
82 Romain Zingle Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
83 Christian Vande Velde Garmin – Sharp @ same time
84 Samuel Dumoulin Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
85 Dries Devenyns Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
86 Arthur Vichot Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
87 Ivan Basso Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
88 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios Movistar Team @ same time
89 Robert Kiserlovski Astana Pro Team @ same time
90 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte Movistar Team @ same time
91 Philippe Gilbert BMC Racing Team @ same time
92 J̩rome Pineau Omega Pharma РQuickstep @ same time
93 Mikel Astarloza Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
94 Vasil Kiryienka Movistar Team @ same time
95 Federico Canuti Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
96 Levi Leipheimer Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
97 Luis Angel Mate Mardones Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
98 Kevin De Weert Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
99 Ruben Plaza Molina Movistar Team @ same time
100 Rafael Valls Ferri Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
101 Jonathan Cantwell Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
102 Fredrik Kessiakoff Astana Pro Team @ same time
103 Chris Anker Sorensen Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
104 Maxim Iglinskiy Astana Pro Team @ same time
105 Robert Hunter Garmin – Sharp @ same time
106 Johnny Hoogerland Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
107 Rein Taaramäe Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
108 Bert Grabsch Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
109 Anders Lund Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
110 Nick Nuyens Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
111 Patrick Gretsch Argos-Shimano @ same time
112 R̩my Di Gregorio Cofidis РLe Credit En Ligne @ same time
113 Pablo Urtasun Perez Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
114 Davide Vigano Lampre – ISD @ same time
115 Baden Cooke Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
116 Fabrice Jeandesboz Saur – Sojasun @ same time
117 Yuriy Krivtsov Lampre – ISD @ same time
118 Vincent Jerome Europcar @ same time
119 Pieter Weening Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
120 Daryl Impey Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
121 Martin Velits Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
122 Pierre Rolland Europcar @ same time
123 Sandy Casar Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
124 Tony Gallopin RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
125 Thibaut Pinot Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
126 Giovanni Bernaudeau Europcar @ same time
127 Cyril Gautier Europcar @ same time
128 Pierrick Fedrigo Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
129 Michael Rogers Sky Procycling @ same time
130 Dmitriy Fofonov Astana Pro Team @ same time
131 Hubert Dupont Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
132 Stuart O’ Grady Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
133 Laurens Ten Dam Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
134 Gorka Izagirre Insausti Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
135 Jens Voigt RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
136 Frank Schleck RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
137 Maxime Bouet Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
138 Chris Horner RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
139 Karsten Kroon Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
140 Kristjan Koren Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
141 Nicki Sørensen Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
142 Amaël Moinard BMC Racing Team @ same time
143 Yuri Trofimov Katusha Team @ same time
144 Jan Ghyselinck Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
145 Daniel Martin Garmin – Sharp @ same time
146 Thomas Danielson Garmin – Sharp @ same time
147 Marco Marzano Lampre – ISD 00:20
148 Alexandre Vinokourov Astana Pro Team @ same time
149 Giampaolo Caruso Katusha Team @ same time
150 Jelle Vanendert Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
151 Julien Simon Saur – Sojasun @ same time
152 Vladimir Karpets Movistar Team @ same time
153 Richie Porte Sky Procycling @ same time
154 Johannes Frohlinger Argos-Shimano @ same time
155 Yohann Gène Europcar @ same time
156 C̩dric Pineau Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat @ same time
157 Sylvester Szmyd Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
158 Lars Ytting Bak Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
159 Jimmy Engoulvent Saur – Sojasun @ same time
160 Thomas Voeckler Europcar @ same time
161 Joan Horrach Rippoll Katusha Team @ same time
162 Christophe Kern Europcar @ same time
163 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank @ same time
164 Aleksandr Kuschynski Katusha Team @ same time
165 Amets Txurruka Euskaltel – Euskadi @ same time
166 Nicolas Edet Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
167 Gustav Erik Larsson Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
168 J̩r̩my Roy Equipe Cycliste FDJ РBigMat @ same time
169 Michael Albasini Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
170 David Zabriskie Garmin – Sharp @ same time
171 David Moncouti̩ Cofidis РLe Credit En Ligne @ same time
172 Michael Schar BMC Racing Team @ same time
173 Roy Curvers Argos-Shimano @ same time
174 Matthew Lloyd Lampre – ISD @ same time
175 Steven Cummings BMC Racing Team @ same time
176 Jurgen Roelandts Lotto – Belisol Team 00:28
177 Daniel Oss Liquigas – Cannondale 00:29
178 Christian Knees Sky Procycling 00:38
179 David Millar Garmin – Sharp 00:51
180 Michael Morkov Team Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank 00:54
181 Kris Boeckmans Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:57
182 Marcel Sieberg Lotto – Belisol Team 01:08
183 Albert Timmer Argos-Shimano 02:10
184 Francis De Greef Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
185 Adam Hansen Lotto – Belisol Team @ same time
186 Manuel Quinziato BMC Racing Team 00:10
187 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui Euskaltel – Euskadi 02:10
188 Cyril Lemoine Saur – Sojasun @ same time
189 Marcus Burghardt BMC Racing Team 00:37
190 Tony Martin Omega Pharma – Quickstep 04:22
191 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
192 Anthony Roux Equipe Cycliste FDJ – BigMat @ same time
193 Blel Kadri Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
194 Yann Huguet Argos-Shimano 06:33
195 Matthieu Sprick Argos-Shimano @ same time
196 Marcel Kittel Argos-Shimano @ same time
197 Sebastian Langeveld Orica – GreenEDGE @ same time
198 Brice Feillu Saur – Sojasun 09:55

Overall after Stage 2

1 Fabian Cancellara RadioShack – Nissan 10:02:31
2 Bradley Wiggins Sky Procycling 00:07
3 Sylvain Chavanel Omega Pharma – Quickstep @ same time
4 Tejay Van Garderen BMC Racing Team 00:10
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen Sky Procycling 00:11
6 Denis Menchov Katusha Team 00:13
7 Philippe Gilbert BMC Racing Team @ same time
8 Cadel Evans BMC Racing Team 00:17
9 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas – Cannondale 00:18
10 Ryder Hesjedal Garmin – Sharp @ same time
11 Andr̩as Kl̦den RadioShack РNissan 00:19
12 Bauke Mollema Rabobank Cycling Team 00:21
13 Maxime Monfort RadioShack – Nissan 00:22
14 Janez Brajkovic Astana Pro Team @ same time
15 Christian Vande Velde Garmin – Sharp @ same time
16 Rein Taaramäe Cofidis – Le Credit En Ligne @ same time
17 Jean-christophe Peraud Ag2R – La Mondiale 00:23
18 Marco Marcato Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
19 Vladimir Gusev Katusha Team 00:24
20 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre RadioShack – Nissan @ same time

 

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