Tadej Pogacar has seized the yellow jersey at the 111th Tour de France after a grueling second stage that took riders from Cesenatico to Bologna over 199.2 kilometers. The Slovenian cycling sensation crossed the finish line alongside his rival Jonas Vingegaard, ousting Frenchman Romain Bardet from the top spot in the overall rankings. The stage victory was claimed by French breakaway rider Kevin Vauquelin.
The challenging ascent to the pilgrimage church in San Luca, with an average gradient of 10.6 percent over 1.9 kilometers that had to be tackled twice, provided the first test of strength for the top riders. Pogacar launched an attack, but Vingegaard managed to stick with him. Evenepoel caught up with the two leaders on the descent.
The scorching heat, with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees, added to the difficulties faced by cyclists on Sunday. Veteran rider Mark Cavendish lost ground to the peloton, just as he had on the previous day.
The upcoming third stage is a chance for sprinters like Belgian Jasper Philipsen to make their mark on this year’s race. The 230.8-kilometer route from Piacenza to Turin is mostly flat, with just a few fourth-category climbs to contend with
