As it happened: Tadej Pogačar storms into pink on Oropa

By
last updated

The Slovenian megastar launched on the final climb with no-one able to follow

Refresh

Buongiorno and welcome to our live coverage of stage 2 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia!

Day two in the 'Fight for Pink' and we already have a summit finish! And it isn't just any old summit finish. It is the Santuario di Oropa, or just Oropa for short. 

After yesterday's surprising win by Ineos Grenadiers' Jhonatan Narváez as he pipped another surprise in Max Schachmann of Bora-Hansgrohe to the stage and the first pink jersey of the race, a certain Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) will be very keen to stamp his authority today.

Pogačar was, as ever, gracious in defeat saying that Narváez was simply faster than him and that he went too early. Adding "Unfortunately it was not our day but we still did a good job." 

It appeared that Jhonatan Narváez agrees with Tadej Pogačar on how the sprint went as the Ecuadorian champion ended up winning quite comfortably. 

Two-time Giro d'Italia winner, Vincenzo Nibali, gave his view on today's finish:

Just over 45 minutes to go until the start of the stage. Unfortunately, it is not a full peloton starting today as Dutch veteran, Robert Gesink, has had to leave the race due to his injuries being too much after his crash yesterday. Disappointing for Visma-Lease a Bike. 

The riders are heading to sign on and getting ready for the start in San Francesco al Campo on the outdoor velodrome there. 

The jerseys after stage one:

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike) is feeling confident going into today's stage...

The riders are all lined up on the start line with the jerseys at the front. 

The neutral start has begun! The riders have set off towards kilometre zero of stage two at the 107th Giro d'Italia. 

Simon Clarke and Marco Frigo of Israel-Premier Tech taking their time to set off and join the rest of the peloton. 

Just under 5km until the official start. 

The sun is shining but there are some grey clouds around. Nice temperatures. Currently 19 degrees centigrade on Oropa with little chance of rain. 

Some riders who may have been targeting the GC that lost time yesterday were:

161km to go

Attack!

For a moment, the break looked to have gone, but EF Education-EasyPost try and go and they are followed by a UAE Team Emirates rider, which means the pace rockets behind. 

EF Education-EasyPost are now chasing the break and constantly firing riders off the front. UAE Team Emirates and Ineos Grenadiers have riders in this new chase move, too. 

Now 15 riders out of the front of the peloton and it is going nowhere. 

Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) are now in the chase group that is now swept up by the peloton. 

Currently travelling on the flat at 61kph! An absolutely mad start. UAE Team Emirates are not happy with how many riders are up the road now with Molano doing the work. 

Break caught. 

Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates have almost the entire team at the front of the bunch, marking moves. 

Attack

Cofidis are not happy as they have missed the move. But they are marked by Polti-Kometa and EF Education-EasyPost, who do have men in the break. That drags Ineos and UAE out as well and they now all sit up and block new moves with five riders clear. 

Tim Merlier (SOQ) stops for a natural break and Juan Pedro Lopez (LTK) has a mechanical.

Break formed

150km to go

Mechanical

Ineos Grenadiers send three riders to the front of the peloton and they have blinked first. The British team take up the traditional role of riding on the front of the peloton to protect pink and showing confidence into Geraint Thomas. 

140km to go

The Ineos Grenadiers riders on the front are Connor Swift, Magnus Sheffield and Filippo Ganna with Bora-Hansgrohe, Decathlon-AG2R and UAE Team Emirates sit just behind with their domestiques. 

Rear puncture

Connor Swift is now on his own on the front of the peloton for Ineos Grenadiers. Behind him, five Decathlon-AG2R riders. Then the UAE Team Emirates riders. 

130km to go

The final stage of La Vuelta Femenina has finished... To see what happened, read our race report by clicking HERE.

120km to go

It is a special moment for Andrea Piccolo (EFE) today. The former wearer of the red jersey at La Vuelta is from the same region as today's stage. He was born just 51km from the stage route, today. Filippo Ganna (IGD) is the most local at 39km. 

Cofidis tried multiple times to be in the breakaway today. They managed yesterday with Nicolas Debeaumarche. Today, Thomas Champion and Stefano Oldani, but no luck for the only WorldTour team without a win this season. 

110km to go

Piccolo (EFE) is the current virtual leader. He has around a minute on the next man, Scaroni (AST) who is also in the break. 

100km to go

My main memory of breakaway rider, Martin Marcellusi (VBF), is his aggressive breakaway performance at last years Eschborn-Frankfurt. He held the peloton off for quite some time if I remember correctly. A strong rider. We, of course, know a lot more about the others in the break due to their impressive palmares. 

90km to go

Geraint Thomas (IGD) returning from a natural break. He and his team have taken their time in getting back in. They have just been tapping in the cars for a while to save as much energy as possible. 

80km to go

It is a very pleasant day in the peloton today. 

We are now over half way in today's stage. 

Just 5km to the first intermediate sprint of the day. Fiorelli (VBF) will likely take maximum points. It is the fight of the sprinters behind the break that will be the most interesting battle. 

Ineos Grenadiers are moving to the front of the peloton with every single rider to keep Thomas and Narváez safe at the front. A major change on the front of the bunch. 

The sprinters teams are just moving up too as Kaden Groves (ADC) and Fernando Gaviria (MOV) are the first to get into position. 

Intermediate sprint

Fiorelli (VBF) is now the official leader of the points classification, he has jumped from third to first. Rather fitting that he is wearing the Maglia Ciclamino skinsuit. 

Now the climbing begins. First of five climbs with them getting longer and harder as we head to the finish. 

60km to go

Crash!

Olav Kooij (TVL) is back at the doctor's car getting the wound on his right knee seen to. 

The race are currently on a very technical descent. Looks lovely but very stressful for the peloton to deal with. 

UAE Team Emirates now have three riders on the front of the bunch and are stringing the bunch out. 

Kooij (TVL) leaves the doctor's car and has now been replaced by Dunbar (JAY) who also requires medical attention. 

The pace is absolutely rapid in the peloton now as the Grupetto is being formed at the back of the bunch. 

Inter Giro sprint

Our guys on the ground in Italy, Barry Ryan and Alasdair Fotheringham, have been busy and have been speaking the UAE Team Emirates sports director about today's stage.

Attack

Onto the first catergorised climb of the day. The Oasi Zagna. 

Dropped

Crash

UAE Team Emirates lead the peloton but Ineos Grenadiers, Visma-Lease a Bike and Bahrain Victorious are just hanging on their shoulders. 

All the sprinters have just been distanced along with the first of the UAE Team Emirates riders, Oliveira. 

Tudor having an issue as they have three riders trying to bring Michael Storer back to the bunch. 

40km to go

Attack

Wood (COF) flew passed Fiorelli (VBF) who has now been swallowed up by the peloton. 

KoM

Caught

30km to go

Onto the next categorised climb. Nelva. 5km at an average of 5.7% maxing at 12%. 

Attack

Crash

Caught

KoM

20km to go

Caught

We are heading to the bonus sprint where 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds are available. Piccolo (EFE) will take the 3" but who will take the 2" and 1"? 

What an effort this is by Andrea Piccolo (EFE).

Crash

Bonus sprint

10km to go

Tadej Pogačar (UAD) is right at the front of the peloton and UAE Team Emirates now challenge Ineos Grenadiers on the front of the peloton. 

Großschartner (UAD) now takes it up on the front of the peloton. 

Bora-Hansgrohe moving Dani Martinez up with Florian Lipowitz looking after him. This is the sort of stage that suits his credentials, but how's his form? 

Caught

Dropped

5km to go

Dani Martinez (BOH) is struggling along with Aurelien Paret-Peintre (DAT), Thymen Arensman (IGD) and Luke Plapp (JAY).

Attack!

4km to go

Thomas (IGD) is back with O'Connor (DAT). They are about 15" behind Pogačar (UAD). 

Behind the main chasing duo, it is Cian Uijtdebroeks (TVL) who is 4th on the road with Einer Rubio (MOV) looking good in 5th for the moment. 

3km to go

Caruso (TBV) and Tiberi (TBV) slipping and are in the pink jersey group along with Bardet (DFP). 

Uijtdebroeks (TVL) joins O'Connor (DAT) and Thomas (IGD) and now the rest of this chase group comes back to them too. 12 riders chasing Pogačar (UAD).

Attack

2km to go

Ben O'Connor (DAT) may have gone too deep when he tried to follow Pogačar (UAD). 

Flamme Rouge

500 metres to go for the Slovenian national champion.

Tadej Pogačar wins stage two of the Giro d'Italia 2024 and he also takes the Maglia Rosa. 

Behind, Dani Martinez (BOH) takes 2nd and Geraint Thomas (IGD) in 3rd but Pogačar (UAD) didn't take the gigantic race ending gap just yet. 

Stage two top ten

General Classification

It was a masterful performance by his team once Tadej Pogačar (UAD) made it back to the front of the peloton. He leads Geraint Thomas (IGD) and Dani Martinez (BOH) by +45" in the General Classification. 

Jerseys after stage two

Tadej Pogačar (UAD) has now completed the Grand Tour set after his three stage wins at La Vuelta a Espana and 9 stage wins at the Tour de France. 

Geraint Thomas (IGD) said that they expected this move by Tadej Pogačar (UAD) and was hoping to follow but he didn't want to blow. 

The first pink jersey of many at this race for Tadej Pogačar (UAD), I imagine. 

Antonio Tiberi (TBV) lost +2'24" today after reportedly having a puncture just as the climb started. Very frustrating for a very on form rider. 

That brings our live coverage of the Giro d'Italia stage two to a close. Thank you very much for following. 

Latest on Cyclingnews