Tour de France, Lafay wins the second stage

Victor Lafay. A sprint one kilometer from the finish gave the Cofidis Frenchman victory number 4 as a pro (the first at the Giro d’Italia in 2021) in the second stage of the Tour de France with arrival in San Sebastian. The return of the small group of big names succeeded in nothing: second place for Van Aert and third for Pogacar. It’s a big names Tour because even today in the 208.9 km from Vitoria Gasteiz-San Sebastian (the longest stage of this edition) the big names battled it out. Vingegaard finished 18th while Ciccone, first of the Italians, finished 12th.

DuelsAfter the appetizer of the first stage, the Pogacar-Vingegaard challenge was renewed today. The Slovenian on the Jaizkibel climb put the team to pull, especially Majka, and once he caught up Neilson Powless – the last of the three-way breakaway with Cavagna and Boasson Hagen who started at km 9 of the stage and finished 4’50” ahead – he sprinted for the bonus of 8” against the 5” conquered by his Danish rival and the 3” by Simon Yates. A forcing that skimmed the group 16 km from the finish. Third stage tomorrow, the last in the Basque Country, Amoreieta Etxano-Bayone of 193.5 km. In the fight for the yellow jersey, Adam Yates remains the leader with a 6” lead over Pogacar and his twin brother Simon Yates, Lafay fourth at 12”. Twenty-first Ciccone at 43”.