On the second stage of the 111th Tour de France, Slovenian cycling sensation Tadej Pogacar seized the yellow jersey from Frenchman Romain Bardet. The grueling 199.2 kilometer ride from Cesenatico to Bologna tested the strength of the top riders, with an average gradient of 10.6 percent over 1.9 kilometers that had to be tackled twice.
Pogacar launched an attack early on, but Vingegaard managed to stick with him. Evenepoel caught up with them on the descent, making it a close race to the finish line. In the end, it was French breakaway rider Kevin Vauquelin who claimed victory in this challenging stage.
The scorching heat added another layer of difficulty for cyclists on Sunday, with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees. Veteran rider Mark Cavendish lost ground to the peloton once again, just as he had on the previous day.
Looking ahead to the upcoming third stage, sprinters like Belgian Jasper Philipsen will have their chance for a mass finish on the mostly flat 230.8 kilometer route from Piacenza to Turin, which only features a few fourth-category climbs to contend with.
