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Paris-Nice stage 2 - Live coverage

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Stage 2 of Paris-Nice brings the peloton southwards from Auffargis to Orléans. The 159km stage has some early hills that should allow a break to forge clear, but the flat and fast approach to the finish means that the sprinters should be to the fore. The roads are exposed on the run-in, however, and there are plenty of changes in direction, too. Echelons are always an occupational hazard in the opening days of Paris-Nice. 

The peloton must also withstand the seemingly overwhelming force of Jumbo-Visma, who began bending Paris-Nice to their will with a startling show of strength in the finale on Sunday, when Christophe Laporte, Wout van Aert and Primož Roglič simply rode clear of the peloton and team time trialled to the finish, coming home 19 seconds up on Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) and at least 22 seconds ahead of everybody else. Van Aert and Roglič yielded stage honours and the first yellow jersey of the race to Laporte, a new signing from Cofidis. Roglič is already in a very strong position to wear that jersey in Nice next Sunday and, on yesterday's evidence, it would be a surprise Van Aert didn't notch up a stage win or two on the way to the Riviera.

General classification after stage 1

The peloton has assembled for the start in Auffargis, where the temperature is a chilly 3°C. The mercury should rise towards 9°C or so by the finish in Orlèans. An easterly wind of 20kph or so is forecast in the afternoon. 

There are two classified climbs on the agenda today and they both come early.  The summit of the category 3 Côte des 17 Tournants (1.4km at 5%) is just 9.6km into the stage. The category 3 Côte de Choisel (1km at 6%) follows shortly afterwards.

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious) is a non-starter today. The European champion was distanced on the run-in to the finish yesterday and his team announced this morning that he is out of the race due to bronchitis. It's a blow to the Italian's Classics chances after he placed second last week at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in what was his first race of the season. Then again, Colbrelli raced only at Omloop, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and the Trofeo Laigueglia last year ahead of Milan-San Remo. Read more here.

The peloton is making its way through the neutralised zone ahead of the start proper in Auffargis. 

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The peloton appears to be content to grant this trio some early leeway. Their leads quickly stretches out towards the one-minute mark.

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Holmes, Gougeard and Gilbert hit the category 3 Côte des 17 Tournants (1.4km at 5%) more than a minute clear of the peloton.

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The three leaders, meanwhile, are tackling the Côte de Choisel (1km at 6%), and their advantage has stretched out to 3:35 as they hit the lower slopes. 

Gilbert, incidentally, was the best placed of the escapees on GC overnight, lying 2:14 off Laporte, and the Belgian is the maillot jaune virtuel. The actual wearer of the maillot à pois, his teammate Holmes, is already assured of wearing it again tomorrow. He has an insurmountable 4-point lead over the third man in the break, Alexis Gougeard. 

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Situation:

Wout van Aert has only just returned to the peloton after his involvement in the earlier crash. The Belgian champion's return was complicated slightly when Trek-Segafredo briefly tested the waters - or rather, the wind - with an acceleration at the head of the bunch, but some calm has been restored, at least for the time being. 

Philippe Gilbert leads Matthew Holmes and Alexis Gougeard in the break.

Philippe Gilbert leads Matthew Holmes and Alexis Gougeard in the break. (Image credit: Getty)

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Paris-Nice is not, of course, the only WorldTour race taking place today. Tirreno-Adriatico gets underway with an individual time trial in Lido di Camaiore, and Stephen Farrand will have all the news and reaction from Tuscany, as Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel face off in a stage race for the first time. “I expect him to be fast in the time trial and then we’ll see on the big climbs,” Pogačar said yesterday of the expected duel. “I can’t say how good he is, but for now he's shown he’s going well.” Stephen Farrand has the full story here.

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Wout van Aert said Jumbo-Visma's striking show of collective force yesterday put him in mind of Mapei's 1-2-3 at the 1996 Paris-Roubaix, though a more apposite comparison might be the way Jumbo-Visma's predecessor Rabobank somehow seven riders in the break of ten on stage 2 of this race in 1999. On that occasion in Nangins, Andrei Tchmil managed to beat the odds and the Rabobank pairing of Markus Zberg and Leon van Bon in the sprint, but the day laid the foundations for Michael Boogerd's eventual overall victory. Like Boogered, Primož Roglič is in pole position for overall honours here after gaining 28 seconds on most of his GC rivals and 42 on defending champion Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe). “I was not sure still about my shape and my legs, but in the end I was in this situation with the strongest guys here. I also managed to keep pace with them,” Roglič said at the finish yesterday. Read the full story here.

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Gilbert, Holmes and Gougeard are into the final 100km with a lead of almos tsix minutes, but it's hard to shake off the sense that this could be the calm before the storm in the peloton. The roads are flat and exposed on the approach to Orléans and there are ample changes in directioon. The wind isn't exactly a gale, but that doesn't mean it isn't strong enough to split the peloton. The echelon alert will be high from here on in. 

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Nils Eekhof (DSM) went down in the crash and he has abandoned Paris-Nice. Meanwhile, the peloton has splintered into three shards. 

Christophe Laporte, Primož Roglič and Wout van Aert are safely in the front portion of the peloton, which numbers 40 or so riders. 

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As well as the Jumbo-Visma leaders, Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) is in the front part of the peloton, though that is hardly news. He lost valuable ground in echelons on stage 2 of the 2015 Tour de France but that was the exception rather than the rule: Quintana is almost invariably well placed in situations such as this. 

White jersey Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) is also in the front part of the peloton. Already winner of the Trofeo Alcudia in January, the Eritrean placed 6th yesterday and looks increasingly destined for success at WorldTour level this season. 

The first and second parts of the peloton have reformed, bringing Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange) back into contention, but there is still another group quite some way off the back. 

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AG2R-Citroën, Ineos and Total Energies are all present at the head of the reduced front part of the peloton, which is closing to within 1:30 of the escapees. A crash at the rear of that group sees Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) and Rohan Dennis (Jumbo-Visma) among the fallers, and they face a grim battle to chase back on.

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) was also caught up in that crash. He seemed to avoid falling, but it won't be easy to recoup the lost ground when the peloton is driving on the pace in the crosswind.

Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) and Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange) were reportedly also held up by that crash at the back of the front peloton, though we await visual confirmation of the American's location.

Riders in the front portion of the peloton include Wout van Aert, Christophe Laporte, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), Adam Yates, Daniel Martinez (Ineos), Simon Yates (BikeExchange) and Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl). Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) was up here, but he has reportedly been forced to a brief halt by a mechanical issue.

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Wout van Aert forces the pace for Jumbo-Visma in this very reduced yellow jersey group. Now Roglic in green and then Laporte in yellow come through to take their turns. They are almost upon the three escapees.

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A puncture for Mike Teunissen sees Jumbo-Visma lose a rider from this front group. Roglic, Laporte and Van Aert are very safely aboard. 

This is absolute carnage... The yellow jersey group has split once again into three echelons, with Sam Bennett and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) among those caught out.... Again, Jumbo-Visma and QuickStep are making the running. Ineos have Adam Yates, Luke Rowe and Daniel Martinez up there, while Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) and Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) also look smooth. 

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Simon Yates (BikeExchange), Sam Bennett and Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hangrohe) are in the second group, a handful of seconds down on the leaders. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) are in a group around a minute back, and the rest of the race is dispersed in echelons further back the road.

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Philippe Gilbert (Lotto Soudal), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) and yellow jersey Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) bridge across to Bissegger, and the rest of the group string out behind them.

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A crash in the second group sees Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) and Matteo Joergensen (Movistar). A touch of wheels sees Jorgensen go down and Kruijswijk came with him. The confusion might doom that group's pursuit of the leaders...

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Senechal begins to lead out the sprint but Laporte moves past him with a massive acceleration...

Van Aert kicks for the line, but Jakobsen comes with him...

Fabio Jakobsen (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) wins stage 2 of Paris-Nice.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) took second and it looks like Luke Mezgec (BikeExchange-Jayco) might have pipped Laporte to third. 

Laporte held on for third ahead of Mezgec and the Frenchman will hold the yellow jersey. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) took fifth ahead of teammate Jasper Stuyven.

Result

General classification

Fabio Jakobsen on his stage win: "I think Paris-Nice is echelons and sprints in the first couple of days, and then around Nice we go to the mountains, so I have to do it in the first days. Yesterday was too hard and we were focused today - we love echelons at Quickstep and we were in with four guys. I'm just happy I could finish it off for the team.

ORLEANS FRANCE MARCH 07 Fabio Jakobsen of Netherlands and Team QuickStep Alpha Vinyl celebrates winning ahead of Wout Van Aert of Belgium and Team Jumbo Visma and Christophe Laporte of France and Team Jumbo Visma yellow leader jersey during the 80th Paris Nice 2022 Stage 2 a 1592km stage from Auffargis to Orlans ParisNice on March 07 2022 in Orleans France Photo by Bas CzerwinskiGetty Images

(Image credit: Getty Images)

ORLEANS FRANCE MARCH 07 Christophe Laporte of France and Team Jumbo Visma celebrates winning the yellow leader jersey on the podium ceremony after the 80th Paris Nice 2022 Stage 2 a 1592km stage from Auffargis to Orlans ParisNice on March 07 2022 in Orleans France Photo by Bas CzerwinskiGetty Images

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Stage winner QuickStep Alpha Vinyl Teams Dutch rider Fabio Jakobsen celebrates on the podium after winning the 2nd stage of the 80th edition of the Paris Nice cycling race 1595 km between Auffargis and Orleans on March 7 2022 Photo by FRANCK FIFE AFP Photo by FRANCK FIFEAFP via Getty Images

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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