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07/06 11:46 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.
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 rain 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, after about 45 kilometers,
Yevgeniy Fedorov and Andreas Leknessund both fell. They were able to continue
as the weather dried out but it stayed windy, leading to a couple more minor
crashes.
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.
He crossed the line in 4 hours, 45 minutes, 41 seconds with Pogacar in second
place and Vingegaard in third recording the same time.
In the overall standings, Pogacar is four seconds behind Van der Poel.
Vingegaard is another two seconds back.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports
