Tour de France 2020: Alaphilippe outsprints Hirschi and Yates to take yellow

Julian Alaphilippe, Adam Yates and Marc Hirschi attack on the last climb in a race with roughly 4,000 vertical metres. On the Promenade des Anglais in Nice Alaphilippe powers to the win to move into the GC lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 2nd stage Tour de France 2020

1. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
2. Marc Hirschi (swi) s.t.
3. Adam Yates (gbr) + 0.01
4. Greg Van Avermaet (bel) + 0.02
5. Sergio Higuita (col) s.t.
6. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
7. Alexey Lutsenko (kaz) s.t.
8. Tadej Pogacar (slo) s.t.
9. Maximilian Schachmann (ger) s.t.
10. Alberto Bettiol (ita) s.t.

GC after stage 2
1. Julian Alaphilippe (fra)
2. Adam Yates (gbr) + 0.04
3. Marc Hirschi (swi) + 0.07
4. Sergio Higuita (col) + 0.17
5. Tadej Pogacar (slo) s.t.
6. Esteban Chaves (col) s.t.
7. Davide Formolo (ita) s.t.
8. Egan Bernal (col) s.t.
9. Richard Carapaz (ecu) s.t.
10. Tom Dumoulin (nld) s.t.

11. Primoz Roglic (slo) s.t.
13. Nairo Quintana (col) s.t.
14. Guillaume Martin (fra) s.t.
15. Emanuel Buchmann (ger) s.t.
18. Bauke Mollema (nld) s.t.
21. Romain Bardet (fra) s.t.
29. Miguel Ángel López (col) s.t.
32. Mikel Landa (spa) s.t.
33. Thibaut Pinot (fra) s.t.
46. Daniel Felipe Martínez (col) + 3.53

Race report
Sagan, Trentin, Skujins, Asgreen, Cosnefroy, Gogl, Pöstlberger and Perez jump clear early on. While Trentin drops back after the intermediate sprint at kilometre 16, the other seven open up a gap of 3 minutes.

Cosnefroy is the first rider to reach the summit of the Colmiane climb.

Sagan gets dropped in the ascent of the Turni, while Cosnefroy also drops back when Perez and Gogl speed up. The Frenchman regains contact in the last kilometres before the top. Perez is the first rider over the crest, Cosnefroy second, while maillot jaune Kristoff is more than 5 minutes in arrears.

The peloton reels in the lead group on the first slopes of the Col d’Èze and a group of sixty riders crest the lead together. Martínez hits the deck in the descent before he closes the gap with the help of Carthy.

Zakarin, Ary and Martínez drop back on the early slopes of the Col des Quatre Chemins, while Alaphilippe speeds up a little later. Hirschi goes with him, while Yates jumps clear a little later to rejoin the two leaders.

Yates, Alaphilippe and Hirschi crest the Col des Quatre Chemins in that order, respectively pocketing time bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds. The group is 14 seconds behind and the three extend their lead in the ensuing descent.

The race boils down to a three-up sprint on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. Alaphilippe opens and holds off Hirschi, while Yates finishes in third.

Alaphilippe is the new leader in the Tour de France.

Other interesting reads:
– route
– KOM classification
– points classification