What a final on the 2. stage of the Tour de France: Mathieu van der Poel beats Tadej Pogacar in the sprint and takes over the yellow jersey. There had been numerous attacks on the last kilometers. The top favorites of the tour, Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, tried to break away on the wavy terrain as well as German Florian Lipowitz. Vingegaard finished third.
The best German in 20th place was Emanuel Buchmann, who belonged to the 26 -big top group. Lipowitz landed in the 24th place. Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, who had lost time the day before, were also there at the front.
The yellow jersey remains in the rows of Alpecin-Deceuninck. “It is a dream for the entire team. Everything that is still coming is a bonus”said van der Poel in the winner’s interview. His team -mate Jasper Philipsen had conquered the leadership jersey on the first day of the tour in Lille. For van der Poel it is the second stage win after 2021 on the tour. Even then, the 30-year-old took over the Maillot Jaune.
Sportschau Tourfunk, July 6th, 2025 8:03 p.m.
The 2nd stage led over 209 kilometers and 2,500 meters from Lauwin-Planque to Boulogne-sur-Mer on the English Channel. The final of the longest stage of the tour contained short, steep ramps and also a rising home stretch. A profile that goes to classic drivers or so-called “punches”.
Pouring rain and late start
Before the start, the professionals had to be patient in pouring rain and only 16 degrees. The start took place with a good 15 minutes late. Apparently a traffic chaos, in which the team buses also stuck, had led.
A top group with four drivers was after a few kilometers. With Bruno Armirail, who had already been one of the outliers the day before. After 45 kilometers, the quartet, which also included Andreas Lekness and Brent van Moer and Yevgeniy Fedorov, had more than three minutes ahead. And the outliers had now also got rid of the rain jackets. It was no longer raining and the streets were getting drier. The wind was not as violent as the tour of the tour.
However, the main field did not let the top group pull away for more than three minutes. The four professionals stayed ahead on the short leash. 52 kilometers before the finish, the main field put the quartet, followed by the tricky finale with small stitches.
Van der Poel wins duel against Pogacar again
30 kilometers before the finish, we went to the first mountain ranking of the 3rd category on this tour. Already here, on the one kilometer-long climb, the UAE team with Pogacar and Vingegaard forced the pogacar and Vingegaard. And there was the first split in the field, only around 50 drivers came across the crest. But most of the main field could quickly catch up to the first group.
It went into the next mountain ranking of the 3rd category ten kilometers before the finish. The climb was only 800 meters long, but had up to twelve percent climb. Pogacar and Vingegaard were the first to go through the mountain rating. However, they couldn’t stop. Another mountain rating of the 4th category and other attacks followed. Five kilometers before the finish, Vingegaard attacked a small group. But he was also unsuccessful. Lipowitz tried two kilometers before the finish – also in vain. Finally, van der Poel had the most power on the home stretch and drove the stage victory.
For Van der Poel, success was another victory in the duel with Pogacar. Both were the dominant professionals in the cycling monuments in spring and fought exciting duels. Pogacar won ahead of Van der Poel on the tour of the Flanders, and the vice versa at Paris-Roubaix.
Flat stage on Monday to Dunkirk
The 3rd stage leads from Valenciennes to Dunkirk on Monday. It is only 800 meters to overcome on the 178 kilometers. A mass sprint in the end is probably – when the weather is playing along. If it is very windy, wind edges could tear the field apart and make life difficult for the sprinters.