Stage 2 – Nice Haut Pays>Nice
Two riders did not start the stage today due to broken bones suffered in yesterday’s crashes. Eight riders got off the front of the group to form a breakaway including Peter Sagan who hopes to win another green jersey when The Tour gets to Paris.
Matteo Trentin took the Intermediate Sprint ahead of Sagan, but Trentin suffered a flat and was quickly gobbled up by the peloton as they rushed through.
The group of seven kept their lead as they headed to the first climb of the day, the Col de la Colmiane, a 16.3km climb with an average gradient of 6.3%.
Benoît Cosnefroy attacked at the top taking the King of the Mountain points. He was outsprinted at the top of the next climb, the Col de Turini, but would take the polka dot jersey. The current yellow jersey holder Alexander Kristoff lost contact with the peloton as they crested the second climb.
The breakaway was caught with just under 40km left to go and one more, albeit smaller, climb to go on the stage.
Three riders broke away on the climb, Julian Alaphilippe, Marc Hirschi, and Adam Yates. The three would play cat and mouse as they approached the finish line, the peloton bearing down on them. They finally sprinted with Alaphilippe taking the stage win and the yellow jersey of race leader.