Stage 2 of the Tour was designed as a stage that would challenge GC contenders who were not used to classics riding and who did not have teammates or directeur sportifs who could help them over the flat, wind-swept, 166-km course from Utrecht to Zeeland in the Netherlands. Things played out that way today. The wind caused the field to form into echelons, and several contenders found themselves one and a half minutes behind the two dozen strong lead group at the finish. Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) took the small group sprint to win the stage in 3:29:03. Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo Bank) finished second, and Fabian Cancellara (Trek) finished third. Cancellara’s finish and the bonus seconds that he earned have given him the 29^th maillot jaune of his career in what is likely his last Tour de France.

The hostilities began early. Armindo Fonseca (Bretagne-Seche Environnement) jumped clear at the start, and Perrig Quemeneur (Europcar), Jan Barta (Bora-Argon 18), and Stef Clement (IAM Cycling) joined him. The quartet led the field by 2:45 at 28 km, at which point Etixx-Quick Step, which was attempting to set up Mark Cavendish for a sprint and Tony Martin for the yellow jersey, began to chase. At 64 km, the wind motivated the Belgian squad to accelerate to force the field to form echelons. Sky, Tinkoff-Saxo Bank, and Movistar joined Etixx-Quick Step at the front. Three groups formed, and 0:20 separated each group from the one in front of it.

As the peloton approached the intermediate sprint in Rotterdam, Sky began to accelerate. Ahead, Barta attacked his companions. The remainder of the break disintegrated as the bunch closed in. A crash took down Wilco Kelderman (Belkin), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal), and Winner Anacona (Movistar).

Clement and Fonseca overtook Barta with 75 km to go. The sky darkened, and a number of crashes occurred. Kelderman went down a second time.

With 62 km remaining, the bunch reeled in the break. A series of accelerations ensued, with Etixx-Quick Step, BMC, and Tinkoff-Saxo Bank doing the work. With 50 km left, the peloton had shattered. Twenty-six riders formed the first group, which led the second group by 0:48. Among the leaders were Chris Froome (Sky), Tejay van Garderen (BMC), Alberto Contador and Peter Sagan (both from Tinkoff-Saxo Bank), Mark Cavendish and Tony Martin (both from Etixx-Quick Step), Greipel, and Cancellara. The second group contained several contenders who had missed the break, among whom were Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Andrew Talansky, (Cannondale-Garmin), and maillot jaune Rohan Dennis (BMC). Nibali and Pinot drove the chasers, but they could not make inroads in the leaders’ advantage.

With 43 km remaining, the lead group led the second group by 1:00. Nineteen km later, Nibali punctured. The Italian got back on, but the Froome-van Garderen-Contador group led the pursuit by 1:30 with 20 km left.

Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx-Quick Step) buried himself for Cavendish. With 14 km to go, Sagan punctured. The Slovakian rejoined the lead group, but he used energy that he would need in the sprint.

With 500 m remaining, Renshaw led out Cavendish early. Greipel had Cavendish’s wheel and jumped the Manxman when he faded. The German just held off Sagan.

Greipel was elated to have won the first road stage of the Tour de France, and he chalked his victory up to teamwork. “In our echelon were six riders of Etixx-QuickStep and strong riders like Cancellara and Dumoulin,” the Lotto-Soudal man said. “We tried to stay a bit under the radar, but did our bit when the echelons were formed. The first time eight of us were part of the first group. The second time the selection was bigger and we were with three in a group of twenty-five. I considered Cavendish and Sagan to be my main opponents for the sprint. I’m happy I could stay ahead of them.

“We had a plan before the start and did a recon last Wednesday. We were focused today, but not stressed. I finished it off, but this victory is one of the entire team. I win a Tour stage for the fifth year in a row, but it’s the first time my wife is here so that makes it even more special. I’m wearing the green jersey for the first time in my career. That’s a nice extra. Tonight I will enjoy this victory and then we’ll see what happens the next days.”

Cancellara had hoped to snare the yellow jersey, but he did not expect to do so today. “Honestly I was not expecting the yellow today, maybe in the next days, and the big chance on the cobblestone stage,” the man called Spartacus said. “Today, I thought it was more for the sprinters. I was coming to the Tour to win and get the yellow yesterday, and I didn’t win yesterday and not today, but I made a nice sprint at the end and I got third and the yellow and that is really a success. It’s always special.”

In the overall, Cancellara leads Martin by 0:03 and Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) by 0:06. The Tour now leaves the Netherlands for Belgium. Stage 3 will be a 157-km ride from Antwerp to Huy, The last third of the course will take the riders over four categorized climbs and will culminate in the Mur de Huy, which La Fleche Wallonne has made legendary. Who will win the stage? Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin)? Alejandro Valverde (Movistar)? Joaquin Rodriguez (Katusha)? Check in at www.roadcycling.com and find out!

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