Cycling: Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) won the second stage of the 2018 Tour de France. The world champion won the sprint of a small group after a mass fall earlier. Among others, overall leader Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) fell.
Sylvain Chavanel traveling alone
After the exciting opening stage led the second section from Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon. Although the start and finish are only 50 kilometers apart, the Vendée peloton had to cover 182,5 kilometers in a counter-clockwise semi-circle. Before reaching the city founded by Napoleon in 1804, there were not many obstacles to overcome. The only mountain was a fourth category score. On the Côte de Pouzauges secured himself 28 kilometers after the start DionSmith (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) the only mountain point of the day. The New Zealander formed alongside the Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie) and the Austrian Michael Gogl (Trek-Segafredo) a breakaway trio. This racing situation did not last long, however, as Smith and Gogl dropped back shortly afterwards, leaving Chavanel as a soloist with around 150 kilometers to go. So it was clear: the 39-year-old will win the red shirt number in his 18th Tour de France today.
Luis Leon Sanchez & Tsagbu Grmay retire injured
In the peloton, it was mainly the Quick-Step Floors team that tried to catch up, so that the lead of Sylvain Chavanel could never reach five minutes. The gap in the sprint classification was drastically reduced with 50,5 kilometers to go. Behind Sylvain Chavanel snapped Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) most points from the field. The world champion left a loose sprinting Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) behind as well alexander kristoff (UAE Team Emirates). Again not involved in collecting points Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo), who doesn't pay attention to the green jersey at all, preferring to focus on the sprints for the day's win. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) I actually wanted to concentrate on team captain Jakob Fuglsang at this year's Tour de France, but unfortunately the Spaniard had to give up the tour today after a fall. Also Tsagbu Grmay (Trek-Segafredo) did not arrive at La Roche-sur-Yon.
Peter Sagan wins chaotic final
Around 12 kilometers from the finish line Sylvain Chavanel placed. When the preparations for the mass sprint began in the peloton - especially by the German team Bora-hansgrohe - had to Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin) fix a defect. With only eight kilometers to go, the German didn't have a chance to catch up. The mass sprint took place without the five-time winner of the previous year. But he wasn't the only one who couldn't sprint for the day's win, because with two kilometers to go there was a mass crash far in front of the peloton. Among other things, the overall leader came Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) to fall. Only a little more than ten professionals took part in the sprint for the day's victory. There it turned out Peter Sagan as the fastest man and won ahead Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida), Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) and André Greipel (Lotto Soudal). With that, Sagan also takes over the green and yellow jerseys. However, due to the three-kilometre rule, the professionals who fell did not have to accept any loss of time.
PETER SAGAN 🇸🇰 MAAKT HET WAAR!
Ritwinnaar stage 2 after chaotic finale with massale valpartij in La Roche-sur-Yon #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/KQVsIjMo48
— Eurosport Nederland (@Eurosport_NL) July 8, 2018
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