Tour de Romandie 2011: Stage 2

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews's live coverage from the Tour de Romandie. Today it's stage two from Romont to Romont. As you can see we're using a new live system today.

This is our first time using the new blimp/live tool so bear with us. We'll try and iron out any bugs as they crop up.

Like a brand new car I'm going to press all the buttons at once and see what they do. Apologies in advance.

@Ricardovdvelde Thu, 28th Apr 2011 14:31:04

@flammecast Thu, 28th Apr 2011 14:31:27

Wow. Things are actually happening. Sorry, this is already turning into an inner monlogue. I'll get to the racing very shortly.

So we have two riders up the road at the moment, Kern and  Bouet

The two leaders have a gap of 2.25.

@dnlbenson Thu, 28th Apr 2011 14:40:49

Earlier today Ben Hermans from Radioshack abandoned the race. He's had a very good spring already but we're unsure as to why he left the race. As soon as we know we'll pass it on.

78km remaining from 171km

78km of racing left in today's stage

Here's a picture of Kern. Obviously not from today.

Both Europcar and AG2R will be happy with how the race is unfolding.

@UCI_Overlord Thu, 28th Apr 2011 14:51:47

Thanks!

The lead is continuing to grow for the two men up the road. They've now got 2.55 on the bunch.

While back in the bunch Katusha are doing all the work for the race leader Brutt. Rabobank are also in the mix and helping to set the pace.

@toutneant Thu, 28th Apr 2011 14:52:07

Showers on the road an the riders aren't taking many risks at the moment, happy to let the two men stay out there in front.

Can't imagine they'll be allowed to stay out there for much longer though.

@andygale Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:04:46

The gap coming down now. It's 1.47.

The bunch made an error yesterday in giving the break too much room. With that in mind they were never likely to make the same mistake again.

@flammecast Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:06:54

I thought it was all black magic but apparently it's this http://pushmodule.slact.net/

Brutt just sitting in and taking things easy. Katusha do have a lot of strong riders. That come into play at the Giro for sure. If someone like Rodriguez can take the lead there he'll have a lot of support from his team on the flat and in the hills.

38km remaining from 171km

BMC coming to the front now, moving their man Evans closer to the action. We've got one climb left to go before the finish.

Liquigas up to the front as well. The gap still stable.

The bunch all strung out so the pace is picking up with Liquigas moving up

Thanks for all your positive tweets. They only show up on my monitor if I'm following you. So lots for me to be getting on with after today's finish.

A real Giro warm up for the Liquigas team who were so strong in their national tour last year.

@IG_Cycling Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:08:59

@BerettasBikeHub Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:23:44

@jumboiowan Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:19:22

29km remaining from 171km

29km to race, and the gap coming down, but slowly. It's at 1.16 so the leaders are within catching distance.

Movistar helping with the chase, three of their men up at the front to help Liquigas. Katusha happy to let the others do the work ahead of the final big climb before the finish.

Less than a minute for the two leaders. 48 seconds. it's almost all over.

Basso right at the back of the bunch. That's not where he wants to be.

Lampre up there too as Vino and Roman K move up. Rabon for HTC is leading the field.

33 seconds and the bunch has put the hammer down

As Astana move to the head of affairs.

The leaders just a few seconds ahead. Who will be the first to attack from the bunch?

@MI_Cycling_Fan Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:30:53

As Shack move up. There's Cunego too as a number of riders drop off the back, the pace too high.

And the leaders have been caught with 20km to race

Wiggins near the back of the bunch. Danielson is up near the front, on the wheel of Evans

And Tony Martin has attacked

He's joined by Sylvester Szmyd

Not a huge gap but Martin doing most of the work, as Astana lead the chase.

Brutt is struggling but still hanging in there.

As Martin still leads the race

Martin looks back and sees that it's not going to work

Roman K, working for Vino today is doing all the work on the front

18km remaining from 171km

Brutt is certainly hurting here so there's a good opportunity to drop him. The bunch are lined out but we've not seen any of the favourites launch an attack. The pace from Astana is too much perhaps.

@UCI_Overlord Thu, 28th Apr 2011 15:41:12

Brutt has gone. He's lost contact.

Karpets is dragging him up the climb

But he's lost around 20 seconds already.

Vino having some food in the lead group as Brutt heads over the climb, roughly 50 seconds down.

16km remaining from 171km

16 to go,Evans, Cunego, Vino, Roman K all here.

Leopard have riders up here as well, Shack as well.

Gerdemann doing the work on the front. Brutt is going to have to work some if he's going to keep his jersey.

The German looks back on the downhill to see who he's got with him.

And a big attack from a Leopard rider

Nicely set up by the German. The pace dropped and Thomas Rohregger (Aut) attacks.

He's got 9 km to go.

He's joined by a rider from Garmin-Cervelo. They've got a gap of 50 meters.

And an Euskatel rider joins the party and Roman K is also coming across.

Stetina is the Garmin rider and it's Txurruka and Cunego and Cioni are there too.

And Vino is coming up

They're all looking at each other and now Danielson, comes from no where and attacks. Nice move from the American

Brutt meanwhile is over a minute down. These attacks aren't helping him either.

Sky has a number of men in the is big group too.

Cioni attacks, Danielson has been caught.

Four men clear of the bunch. Cioni is there, Millar too.

5km to go and they've got a good gap.

Cherel and Costa  there too

It's all downhill from now.

These four look pretty good and Millar attacks

Cioni is trying to chase him.

Cioni isn't getting any help and Millar is alone

He looks back and sees a gap. Head down now!

And Costa is coming back and bringing the two others with him. We're going to have four riders together.

Just 2km to go

Millar caught by De Costa.

1km to go for the two leaders

It's four riders again but the bunch are closing in

Cherel attacks, Millar chases

Cioni is struggling.

Slight climb before the finish.

Millar leads out but Evans is coming up

Cunego goes

And he's going to take it.

From no where.

It looked like Millar and co would decide the win but Lampre and BMC brought it all back together.

Evans was the first rider to open the sprint but Cunego timed it perfectly.

Here comes Brutt.

It looked like Millar and co would decide the win but Lampre and BMC brought it all back together.

Evans was the first rider to open the sprint but Cunego timed it perfectly.

Evans took second, Vino third.

Ah Evans was blocked in by Cherel there. That totally ruined his sprint.

And Brutt keeps his lead in GC, 38 seconds ahead of Cunego. Evans is third on GC now.

1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 4:10:53
2 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
3 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Pro Team Astana
4 Rui Alberto Faria Costa (Por) Movistar Team
5 David Lopez Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team
6 Beñat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team
7 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
8 Tony Martin (Ger) HTC-Highroad
9 Denis Menchov (Rus) Geox-TMC
10 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
 
General classification after stage 2 
 
1 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Katusha Team 8:43:39
2 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:00:38
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:42

Thanks for joining us today. We've really enjoyed bringing you coverage from Romandie and we hope you've enjoyed the new live format.