On paper, stage 2 of Pašris-Nice looks like one for the sprinters. In practice, just about anything could happen on the exposed 164km run to Fontainebleau, even if the breeze is relatively gentle for the time being. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) was already on the offensive yesterday, after all, while Jonas Vingegaard's Jumbo-Visma squad, as we know, are not shy about trying to steal an early march at this race.
Thanks to hļ·½is stage win yesterday, Tim Merlier ā (Soudal-QuickStep) wears the first yellow jersey of this Paris-Nice, four seconds ahead of Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). The full standings are below courtesy of .
The peloton is currently negotiating the neutralised zone in Bazainville, with the race due to hit kilometre zero at 13.00 CET. The temperature is a chilly 5Ā°šC and the slate grey sky could have been lifted from a Jacques Brel chš anson, but - to the relief of many - there is no significant breeze to speak of.
As sure as night follows day, Tadej Pogacar threw himself into the offensive on yesterday's opening stage, attacking on the CĆ“te de Milon-la-Chapelle with 20km to go and snagging six bonus seconds for his trouble. The Slovenian stole an early march on his rival Vingegaard. On the evidence of their duel by correspondance on the Iberian Peninsula last month, mind, we can perhaps anticipate a reaction from the Dane at some point - or, of course, another onslaught from Pogacar. "At the start, I felt a bit shit, but every hour in I felt a little better," Pogacar said on Sunday. "So I hope the next days will allow me to do something." Read more here.
There was no particulašr injection of pace when the flag was initally dropped, but we now have our first attacker of the day, as Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) opens a small gap over the peloton. The Daneą·“ would surely like some company on an expedition like this, but he is alone for the time being.
No respoąµ²nse from the peloton, and Gregaard opts to press on alone, quickly pushing his advantage out toāwards the one-minute mark.
-152km
Break:
Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Peloton at 1:45
Gregaard was already in the break yesterday, spending 122km off the front with Paul Ourselin, and he also caught the eye with an attacking display on stage 3 of last month's Volta a la Comunitat ź¦ŗValenciana, eventually placing third behind Simone Velasco and Bob Jungels in Sagunto as they just about fended off the bunch. The 26-year-old is in his š±second są½§eason at Uno-X, having previously spent three campaigns in Astana colours.
30km into the stage, Jonas Gregaard approaches Les Chaises with a leašŗd of four minutes on a peloton that seems more than content to grant him some early leeway. Soudal-QuickStep are controlling the tempo in the bunch for now.
Pogacar's aggressive start to Paris-Nice yesterday was in keeping with the tenor of his season thus far. His default setting has always been 'attack,' at least after his 2020 Tour de France win, but that approach seems even more pronounced this year. Our columnist Philippa York has wondered if it's a byproduct of his defeat to Vingegaard at last year's Tour. "He is the type of rider that will pounce at any moment if he sees an opportunity, and he does have a hunger to win thatās exceptional, but I get the feeling thereās also a certain amount of reassurance going on here," Philippa writes. "He needs to know heās still number one and still the reference. He needs to convince himself and everyone else that he only lost the Tour last year because of tactical errors." Read Philippa's preview of the latest instalment of Pogacar v Vingegaard here.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
-119km
Break:
Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Peloton at 3:55
Gregaard cover a little over 44km in the first hour of raš¦cing, and the Dane is now approaching the first of the day's two classified climbs. He's unlikely to upset the sprinters this afternoon, but he should divest Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) of the king of the mountains jersey. He lies a point behind Powless in the standings and there are three points on offer to the first man to the top of each of the day's category 3 climbs.
The lone escapee Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X) presses on aheadš§ of the peloton. (Image credit: Getty)
-102km
Break:
Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Peloton at 3:05
-95km
Gregaard šled the race over the category 3 CĆ“te des Granges-le-Roi, but there has been a discernible increase in the urgency of the peloton, and his lead has contracted to 2:40.
Tim Merlier's Soudal-QuickStep team have performed the bulk of the chasing thus fź§ar. (Image credit: Getty)
Tadej Pogacar wrapped against the elements on stage 2ā of Paris-Nice. (Image credit: Getty)
-82km
Break:
Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Peloton at 2:45
-76km
An injection of pace sees a split open in the peloton. Soudal-QuickStep are represented in nšumbers in the front portion, but the gap to the chasers has nšot yet ballooned outwards.
Jumbo-Visma, Ineos and Trek-Segafredo are among the teams claiming real estate at the head of the peloton on this expoš sed section of the route. Rohan Dennis is prominent onā¤ behalf of his leader Jonas Vingegaard.
-63km
Tim Declercq is also to the fore here for Soudal-QuickStep, while Vingegaard and Pogacar are notably vigilant towards the head of a bunch whą± ere the intensity seems to be ratcheting upwards with each passing kilometre.
Gregaard takes a long look back over hiź¦s shoulder at the summit and he has the mien of a man ready to sit up and wait for the fast-closing peloton, which is less than 50 seconds beš„hind. In any case, his mission for the day is accomplished.
-60km
Break:
Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X)
Peloton at 0:41
Speakingš · of tomorrow's novel team time trial, it has been confirmed that teams will set out at three-minute intervals rather than fiveš·-minute intervals. The revision to the start times has been made to help alleviate the pressure on the policing service, given that Tuesday is a day of national strike in protest against pension reform in France.
-57m
Gregaard is content to wait for the chasing peloton, which has now closed to within 20 seconds. Despite the exposed roads, the wind does not seem strong enough for now to provoke splits, but the intermediate spšrint at La Chapelle-la-Reine with 13km to go could well provoke frissons.
-54km
Jonas Gregaard (Uš«no-X) takes one last look and then sits up. His adventurāe is over and the peloton is back together.
-49km
Stefan Kungź§ (Groupama-FDJ) and Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) are dialling up the pace at the head of the bunch, which is lining out accordingly. This will be a very fast and potentially fraught run-in to the finish.
There is scarcely a curve in the road for the last ten miles today apart from the roundabout the bunch will have to negotiate in theš§āØ final kilometre. Before that, however, there is a sharp left-hand turn to come at Puiseaux with 29km to go, and there will be a fierce battle for positions ahead of it.
-42km
For now, there's a certain degree of calm before thāe storm. The bunch has spread back out across the roš³ad, even if the pace is still brisk.
Bora-Hansgrohe, UAE Team Emirates, Soudal-QuickSštep and Jumbo-Visma are all currently occupying the box seats at the front of the peloton. The skies remain slate grey and the mercury is still low, but the conditions are mercifully still.
-39km
A crash as the peloton navigates some very unfortunately positioned traffic islands in Manchecourt. Pierre Latour (Totalš Energies) is the lone faller. The Frenchman takes some time to get off the ground, but he's back on his bike and chasing back through the cars.
-37km
The teams of Sam Bennett, Tim Merlier, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard remain locked in the front positions of the peloton. Meanwhile, Latour chases back on in the company of teammate Jeremy Cabot. A commissaire fussily waves away tź¦he TotalEnergies team car, which won't help Latour's cause or his mood. But Pierre Ourselin has also dropped back to help out, and this TotalEnergies trio look set to make their way back on.
The peloton is still tightly packed as Latour et al close to within 14 seconds. They'll make it back on before tź¦he next significant change in direction.
The peloton is safely through that left-hand bend in Puiseaux. The wind doesn't appear strong enough to create any real issues on the run-in, but Groupama-FDJ, Trek-Segafredo and Bora-š¼Hansgrohe are erring on the side of caution by masāsing towards the front.
-25km
The peloton is very compact for the time being on this wide, flat and seemingly interminably straight road. A stronger puff of wind could hāave made for a dramatic final hour of racing, but for the time being, there's plenty of suspense but precious little by way of excitement.
-23km
Bora-Hansgrohe, EF-Easypost, Trek-Segafredo, Groupama-FDJ, UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-VāIsma are all posted at the head of the bunch. Nobody can afford to risk a moment's inattention here, but for now, the peloton remains compact.
-21km
āThe peloton drums along at 55kph, with Tim Declercq banging out the tempo. For now, there are no signs of a split in the peloton, and the race will be afforded some shelter by forestry on the final run-in to Fošntainebleau.
Jšonas Vingegaard has been perchāed just a few places back from the front all afternoon. (Image credit: Getty)
-18km
UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma are still massed towards the head of the bunch, with Pogacar anšød Vingegaard doubtless watching one another closely ahead of the intermediate sprint with 13km to go at La Chapelle La Reine.
-16km
The peloton isn't quite travelling at full bore, but the speed is certainly quick enough to dissuade any attackers, not least on terrain like this. It will, however, be fascinating to see who has a crack atšŖ the imminent intermediate sprint.
-15km
Tim Declercq, Yves Ü«Lampaert and Florian Senechal hit the front, looking to position maillot jaune Tim Merlier for the intermediate sprint...
-14km
But now UAE Team Emirates take it up for Pogacar.ź¦ Tim Wellens lays down the tempo andš Pogacar sits in third wheel. The Slovenian certainly looks like a man ready to have a cut off this sprint...
-13km
Tadej Pogacar wins the š½intermediate sprint, picking up six seconds ahead of his friend Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula), with Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) taking third.
Pogacar has now picked up 12 seconds in bonuses on Vingegaard in two days. Van Hooydonck was parked on Pogacar's wheel, but he didn't have the speed to live with the Slovenian, who is now the virtual overall leader - though that could all change depending on how Tim Merlier and Sam Bennett fare in theš inevitable bunch sprint.
Matthews, incidentally, didn't seem unduly upset at losinź¦æg out to his training partner Pogacar in that sprint. It's alwašys useful to have friends in the peloton.
-10km
The peloton remains together on the entry to the final 10km. It's difficult to envisage anything other than a bunch finish, butź§ that tricky roundabout could throw up a late surprise.
Tadej Pogacar won the intermediateš® sprināt to pick up six more bonus seconds. (Image credit: Getty)
-8km
The peloton is fanną¶£ed out on this wide and straight run-in, bowling along at 50kph.
-7km
Yves Lampaert finds himself at the front and takes a glance over his shoulder for Tiš”m Merlier. The proximity of the intermediate sprint to the finish meant that the bulk of the fast men opted to sit out that first effort to spare themselves for the grand finale.
-6km
šLotto-Dstny, Bahrain Victorious and EF Easypost have competing trains at the head of the peloton, as the speed clicks uš„p another notch or two.
-5km
Ineos Grenadiers take over on this very slightly downhill sector, withāØ Ben Swift driving on the front.
-4km
EF Education-EasyPost take over. The pace is rising everā more steadily and the tension rises.
-3km
The speešdometer touches 90kph on the shallow downhill that leads into the final 3km. Merlier finds a path towards the front on the wheel of teammate Florian Senechal.
-2.5km
Alpecin-Deceuninck wind up the pace with 2.5km remaining, and the bunch strš²etches accordingšly.
-2km
Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert and Uno-X are the next teams to press on the pace, but who will time their train just right through tšŗhe final kilometre and that treacherous roundabout?
-1km
TotalEnergies leads the race into the final kilometre, but a numberš · of riders have gone down at a traffic island, including Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis)
Jumbo-Visma šølead Olav Kooij through the sweeping roundabout, before Trek-Segafredo open the sprint for Mads Pedersen...
Mads Pedersšen hits the fršont in the finishing straight but Olav Kooij is putting up fierce resistance...
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) wins stage 2 of Paris-Nice.
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) took second place aļ·ŗhead of Mšagnus Cort (EF Education-Easypost).
Despitše Pogacar's haul of bonus seconds, āit appears that Mads Pedersen will take command of the yellow jersey.
We haven't got a full rundown of who went down in that crash inside the final kilometre, but it certainly caused disruption to sprint trains even among those whoā didn't fall. Dannį£y van Poppel kicked very early believing his Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Sam Bennett was on his wheel, for instance, but the Irishman had lost contact and was a little further back.
General classification after stage 2
1 Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 07:19:35
2 Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:02
3 Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal-QuickStep 00:00:04
4 Olav Kooij (Ned) Jumbo-Visma 00:00:08
5 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco-Alula 00:00:10
7 Magnus Cort (Den) EF Education-EasyPost
8 Pierre Latour (Fra) TotalEnergies
9 Dorien Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroƫn 00:00:12
10 Nathan Van Hooydonck (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
(Image credit: Getty)
Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) on his second place: "I didnāt hear a cš¹rash, but it was fast with a tailwind and a slightly downhill run-in, so then you know it will be nervous and guys will be fighting for position. Actually, it wź§as hectic all day. it was a stage for echelons but there was no real wind, so it was quite nervous. It was hard to be up there in the final, but we got in good position. Iāve been close a few times now but Iāve not got that win. Of course, thatās a bit frustrating, but thereās not much we did wrong today.ā
āItās pretty nice to wear yellow, Iāve never done that in a race like thisź¦ before, so that will be nice for the TT. We are here with [Mattias] Skjelmose also to do GC, so tomorrow itās really important to do a good team time trial for him.ā
Mads Pederź¦sen in the yellow jersey of racešÆ leader. (Image credit: Getty)
As anticipated, that late roundabout played a key role in how the stage unfurled. Jumbo-Visma led through the roundabout, placing Kooij in an ideal place, while Pedersen was also well marshalled by Alex Kirsch. Yesterday's most rapid finishers, Merlier, Bennett and De Lie, meanwź¦Æhile, lost vital positions at that point, and they were never a factor in the sprint. Merlieą²r took 14th, Bennett was 20th, while De Lie had to settle for 27th.
That was a towering sprint from Pedersen, incidentally. As he stuck for home, Kooij was lined up on his wheel, and the Dutchman then unleashed a crisp sprint that saw edge paš ŗst Pedersen. The former world champion, however, was able to summon up the strength to kick again. For good measure, his dive to the line was perfectly timed and that was enough to pip Kooij to the line. Pedersen, sixth on his Milan-San Remo debut a year ago, has the distinct look of a man hitting form for La Primavera...
(Image credit: Getty)
Tadej Pogacar was the provisional yellow jersey for the lašst 12km, but Pedersen's win means he lies second overall, two seconds off the lead ahead of Tuesday's team time trial. More pertinently, his second intermediate sprint win in as many days means he begins the novel test with a 12-second buffer over Jonas Vingegaard. Pogacar warmed down on his time trial bike as he waited to be awarded with the white jersey of best young rider at the finish today.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Thanks for joining today's live coverage of Paris-Nice. A full report is available here, with all the news - including Tadej Pogacar's reaction - still to fą¦ollow.
