Follow live updates from the Stage 2 of the 2023 Tour de France.
Stage 2 of the 2023 Tour de France is underway and after a few false starts, a breakaway has now gone up the road.
The breakaway is made up of current King of the Mountains Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), veteran Tour rider Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) and powerhouse rider Rémi Cavagna (Soudal-Quick Step). With 184km to go they're over three minutes ahead
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) is back in the white jersey of best young rider, already relegating his newly won National Champion's jersey back to his suitcase. His teammate Adam Yates has opted for a yellow speedsuit, while Simon Yates gets the (questionable) pleasure of wearing the new 'green' jersey on behalf of his twin.
It's all a bit formulaic at the moment: a break's gone and the GC teams are controlling the peloton. With any luck a bit of crosswind will mix things up
How far into the stage am I going to get the Yates brothers mixed up and credit the wrong one with leading the Tour? If it hasn't happened already
Boasson Hagen takes maximum points at the Intermediate Sprint as Powless courteously dropped to the back of the trio to let him come through. Good for the cohesion of the group
The pace has gone up in the peloton as the sprinters seek the remaining green jersey points... here we go
It was a bit scrappy but Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has been credited with fourth place
Christope Laporte, in his domestique role at Jumbo-Visma, is making his way back through the cars. Although not laden with bottles, so perhaps it was an intelligence mission (or I missed him having a puncture)
Significant crowds out to wave the riders past, no surprise in a region that's known for its love of cycling
Lunchtime for the peloton while the break is nearly five minutes ahead and still riding as a cooperative trio. Powless has dropped to the back with just over 4km to go to the first KOM of the day
Powless rolls across the line first to take two points in the polka dot competition. He even celebrated
An interesting story from Chris Marshall-Bell this morning that could have wide-ranging implications for teams and races:
That's another point for Powless, no celebration this time though. The break's advantage has dropped to 3:34 as UAE continue to drive the front of the peloton
Wout Van Aert has brought his Jumbo team, in particular leader and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard, to the front for the next descent
Mark Cavendish (Astana) still in touch with the peloton over the crest of the climb. Despite some early climbs, tomorrow should end in a bunch sprint: could it be a record breaking day for Cav?
A closer look at the bikes the riders are on at this year's Tour:
Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) was on the move briefly then, but the UAE-led peloton had other ideas and he's back in the bunch
Cavendish is slightly off the back on the current climb, measuring his effort perfectly no doubt, ready to get back on during the next descent
Teammates Mikkel Bjerg and Matteo Trentin, of UAE Team Emirates, were seen having words at the front of the peloton. The pace then dropped soon afterwards, everything calmed down a bit and Cavendish got back on
Game over for Cavagna as his previous breakaway companions go away from him up the hill. UAE are hammering it on the front of the peloton and Cavendish is once again off the back. There's also been a little off in the middle of the bunch, looks like no one even touched the ground let alone go hurt, thankfully
Boasson Hagen and Powless are almost definitely not going to get anywhere near the finish line ahead of the peloton, but all Powless needs to do is crest the top of the current climb first to ensure another day in the spotty jersey. If he kicks on, there could be a combativity award at the end of the day for Boasson Hagen
Plenty of sprinters now off the back of the marauding peloton, which I'll soon have to call the GC group as it thins out. Good new for Cavendish as the grupetto forms
In the rain, Powless goes over the latest summit first, the KOM jersey safely his for at least another day. The gap to the peloton has dropped to 1:50 and is only coming down
The breakaway duo are on the descent, which could be more difficult than it might have been due to the varying dry-damp-dry of the tarmac
The gap has actually gone back out over two minutes as the peloton are, wisely, taking a very cautious approach to the descent, while the lead duo has a clearer run at it. Now into an urban area, there are plenty of wet road markings just waiting to catch someone out
Matteo Trentin (UAE) has taken a tumble on a roundabout and is in need of a new bike. He's back riding but his team are not easing up at the front so his duties look to be done for the day
A puncture for British rider James Shaw who is still riding along on the front flat as his EF team car makes its way up with a new wheel
Live broadcast of the EF race radio suggests those in the car still believe that Powless and Boasson Hagen can go all the way to the finish. But the final climb might dictate otherwise
You have to feel for Cavagna who is now being dropped by the peloton having been ejected earlier from the breakaway
Two Lotto riders down in a crash. Vingegaard was caught up in it but didn't go down, just ended up with a front wheel puncture (which may have happened before and was the reason for his presence nearer to the back of the peloton)
As that crash was happening behind, up front Powless was dropping Boasson Hagen
Teams are driving the pace into the foot of the climb like they're riding for a bunch sprint
Edvald Boasson Hagen has been caught by the peloton, Powless still has 1:43 over the fast-moving group
Riders are getting dropped all over the place as the GC leaders come to the fore. Powless has under a minute as he still has 6km to the top of the climb
Rafal Majka has splintered the group and, with 19.2km to the end and 2.6km to the summit, he passes Powless and ends the breakaway
Thibaut Pinot dropped
Yates (A) moving to the front
First over the summit will get an eight second bonus
Vingegaard and Pogacar fight for the summit: the latter gets it and takes eight seconds to the former's five seconds. Now the pair of them are clear: will they ride on?
Pogacar and Vingegaard still ahead as they make their way down the descent but a group will soon join them
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) is trying to go clear on the descent but Van Aert is keeping him in sight, for now at least
Bilbao still ahead but the road has flattened out and he'll have a task staying clear of the combined power behind
Bilbao caught with 5.4km to go and Van Aert is tightening his shoes
4km to go, the leadout looks to be forming for Van Aert while his rivals jostle for his wheel
Attack by Tom Pidcock (Ineos)! Van Aert is alive to it
Attack after attack and it always seems to be Van Aert who closes it down.
1km to go and Victor Lafay attacks
250m to go and Lafay is still clear
He's done it! What a brilliantly timed attack: Victor Lafay wins Stage 2 of the 2023 Tour de France
Wout van Aert did not look happy to have had his pocket picked at the last, which is understandable
Here's a longer report from today's stage:
Today's top 10:
1. Victor Lafay (Cofidis) in 4:46:39
2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)
3. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
4. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers)
5. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
6. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek)
7. Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech)
8. Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich)
9. Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech)
10. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), all same time
Overall top 10 after today's stage:
1. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in 9:09:18
2. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), at 00:06
3. Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla), at same time
4. Victor Lafay (Cofidis), at 00:12
5. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), at 00:16
6. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), at 00:17
7. Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech), at 00:22
8. Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), at same time
9. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), at same time
10. Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious), at same time
That's it for the day. Join us again tomorrow when Mark Cavendish could make (yet more) history. In the meantime, read up on all things Tour de France here:
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