2021 Tour de France Stage 2 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 2 of the 2021 Tour de France! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
The 2nd stage of the Tour de France finishes in Mûr-de-Bretagne. The climb into the village is perfect for punchers. It's 2 kilometres long and the first half is especially steep. As the race concludes with a local circuit the punchy ascent features twice.
Three years ago La Grande Boucle visited Mûr-de-Bretagne for the last time. Daniel Martin took the spoils, thus succeeding Alexis Vuillermoz (2015) and Cadel Evans (2011).
The climb into Mûr-de-Bretagne is 2 kilometres long and the average gradients sits at 6.9%. The first half is the most tricky part, as it goes up at almost 10%.
The first three summit finishes in Mûr-de-Bretagne were identical. The peloton tackled the climb at high speeds, as if preparing for a bunch sprint. This time the riders enter the finish climb coming round a 90-degrees corner, so the speed will not be as high.
But, obviously, the Mûr-de-Bretagne is not the only climb of the day. In fact, the route includes a total of six classified climbs – all 4th category with the exception of the double dose of the Mûr. In order of apperance, the riders tackle the Côte de Saint-Barbe (900 metres at 6.6%), Côte de Pordic (2.1 kilometres at 3.2%), Côte de Saint Brieuc (1 kilometre at 8%) and Côte du village de Mûr-de-Bretagne (1.6 kilometres at 6.9%), which is actually a prelude to the first haul up the Mûr-de-Bretagne.
The last three climbs of the day are packed together inside the last 20 kilometres. Which should be enough raw material for a compelling finale.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds. Furthermore, 8, 5 and 2 seconds are available in the first ascent of the Mûr-de-Bretagne.
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