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07/06 12:45 CDT Tour de France: Van der Poel holds off Pogacar to win rainy
stage 2
Tour de France: Van der Poel holds off Pogacar to win rainy stage 2
BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, France (AP) --- Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel won the
hilly second stage of the Tour de France on Sunday after holding off defending
champion Tadej Pogacar and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard in a sprint to the
line.
Van der Poel took the race leader's yellow jersey from his Alpecin--Deceuninck
teammate Jasper Philipsen in a second career stage victory on the Tour. Neither
rider is considered an overall contender.
"It was super difficult, the finale was harder than I thought. But I was really
motivated," Van der Poel said. "Finally, four years after my first (stage) win,
it was about time I took a second one. It's also the second time I'm rewarded
with the yellow jersey as well, so I guess it was worth the wait."
He intends to wear yellow a little longer yet.
"I hope I can keep the jersey until the time trial (on Wednesday)," Van der
Poel said "(After that) it will be very hard."
Stage 2 was delayed by about 15 minutes after team buses arrived late to their
parking spots because of heavy morning rain. Fans lined the roads wearing
raincoats and riders wore light jackets amid wet and blustery conditions on the
slightly hilly 209-kilometer (130-mile) trek from Lauwin-Planque to
Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France.
The longest trek of this year's race featured about 4 kilometers of climbing
suited to allrounders like the three-time Paris-Roubaix classic winner Van der
Poel and former Cyclo-cross star Wout van Aert.
Greasy roads increased the risk of spills and a strong headwind greeted riders
approaching the finish as they took on the day's three consecutive climbs ---
short and sharp but very modest ones compared to the giant Alpine and Pyrenean
ascents later in the three-week race.
None of the main Tour contenders could launch a decisive attack, although
Vingegaard tried with 5 kilometers left.
Instead, it was Van der Poel --- nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman" --- who surged
clear and then withstood Pogacar's late burst, having also beaten the Slovenian
star at Paris-Roubaix in April.
Van der Poel crossed the line in 4 hours, 45 minutes, 41 seconds with Pogacar
in second place and Vingegaard in third recording the same time.
Pogacar misjudged his attack, a rare mistake for him.
"Mathieu was stronger in the final sprint, so chapeau to him," Pogacar said.
"To be honest I messed up a little bit, because I got a bit scared to sprint
against him and I waited too long on his wheel."
In the overall standings, Pogacar is four seconds behind Van der Poel.
Vingegaard is another two seconds back.
Four-time Spanish Vuelta winner Primo? Roglic --- the 2020 Tour runner-up from
Slovenia --- and double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel had both lost time on
Saturday after being caught in a late crosswind.
They did not lose further time Sunday to Pogacar and Vingegaard, who enters
this year's Tour in better shape.
Last year, the Dane was barely recovered from a heavy race crash in Spain which
left him with a collapsed lung, several broken ribs and a broken collarbone. He
finished the Tour in second place but could not match Pogacar in big climbs.
Cycling family The 30-year-old Van der Poel was born in Belgium and shot to fame as a multiple Cyclo-cross world champion before turning his sights to one day classics and stage racing. Cycling runs in the family. His father Adri was also a Cyclo-cross world champion and Van der Poel's maternal grandfather was the late French cyclist Raymond Poulidor. Poulidor took part in 14 Tours from 1962-76, finishing in second place overall three times and third five times. Nicknamed "Poupou" and "The Eternal Runner-up," Poulidor was adored by French fans. Monday's stage Stage 3 is a flat stage for sprinters, 178.3 kilometers from Valenciennes to the coastal city of Dunkerque. This race is entirely in France, with no stages held abroad as in previous years, and ends July 27 in Paris. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports |
