2015 Tour de France Stage 2 Results & Recap
Stage 2 of the 2015 Tour de France is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
As the sunny skies and warm weather of Utrecht gave way to treacherous conditions on the exit from Rotterdam, stage 2 of the Tour de France burst to life. As news came over race radio that Nairo Quintana (Movistar) was in trouble, Etixx-Quick Step put the hammer down and split the race to pieces in the crosswinds.
In a bunch sprint, the stage spoils went to Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) after Mark Cavendish led out the sprint with 400 metres to go, piping Peter Sagan at the post, with Fabian Cancellara taking third and his 29th maillot jaune after Rohan Dennis (BMC) was caught out in the wind.
Etixx-Quick Step ended up handy handed as Martin missed out on the time bonuses and now sits second on GC, three seconds down on Cancellara.
At 500 meters to go, Mark Renshaw started his lead-out for Cavendish while Greipel sat on the Manx Missile’s wheel timing his effort to perfection. A puncture with 14km to go proved costly for Sagan who tired to come around the right of Greipel to no avail as Cavendish, on the left, was drifting backwards.
“I’d like to thank their team for their performance today. This was about teamwork. I feel they were superb. I felt strong and I’m just really happy to have won,” Greipel said before climbing on the podium.
Chris Froome and Alberto Contador made the first group of 26 riders while behind them Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) all had their GC ambitions severely dented by the time the crossed the finish line 1:26 minutes down on the front group.
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