Tour de France

Breakaway victory, favorite now already in the yellow jersey

Favorites among themselves: Tadej Pogacar (front) followed by Jonas Vingegaard.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The second stage of the Tour de France in Italy also produced a French winner from a breakaway group in the shape of Kevin Vauquelin. From Cesenatico over 199 km to Bologna, the peloton gave the escapees a sufficiently large lead. Romain Bardet lost the yellow jersey to top favorite Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian attacked on the last few meters of the steep climb to the San Luca pilgrimage church, only Jonas Vingegaard was able to follow.

Remco Evenepoel and Richard Carapaz caught up with the top duo after the descent shortly before the finish. Felix Gall was 21 seconds behind Pogacar and Co. in the chasing group with Primoz Roglic and Bardet in 17th place. The East Tyrolean from the Decathlon team is also 21 seconds back in the overall standings.

UAE captain Pogacar, who had already slipped into the leader's jersey on the second day of the Giro d'Italia in May, only leads the overall standings thanks to his better stage result at the start (4th) ahead of Vingegaard, Evenepoel and Carapaz, who all finished in the same time.

Disadvantage for defending champion?
Defending champion Vingegaard presented himself in strong shape after his long injury break. However, his Visma teammates Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson are slightly ailing. They went down 90 km before the finish, but both got off lightly with abrasions.

Vauquelin celebrated the biggest success of his career half a minute ahead of the first chasers. The 23-year-old secured his French Arkea team's first Tour stage win in his eleventh participation and the first in one of the three grand tours. A long sprinter's stage from Piacenza to Turin (231 km) follows on Monday, before the fourth day from Pinerolo to France and then straight into the high mountains.