As it happened: Stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia ends in reduced bunch sprint after Vingegaard and other attackers caught
A 220km hilly stage with a challenging late climb inside the final 10km
Welcome to our live coverage of stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia.
The stage has just got underway and two riders are already on the attack.
Mirco Maestri and Diego Pablo Sevilla are on the move. The pair both ride for Polti-VisitMalta.
The peloton has let the pair go in these early kilometres of the race.
The duo have four minutes currently
It looks like this will be the only move of the day.
A look at the two breakaway men
Sevilla is in the blue jersey as mountain classification leader after going out in the break yesterday
The gap has come down a little since NSN have taken to the front
The duo now have 5:15 over the chasing peloton
Still a long way to go on today's stage and the riders are still on the flat early roads
195km to go
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NSN still on the front of the peloton
The peloton controlling the time gap at 5:30 at the moment
Nobody else has joined Maestri and Sevilla out front
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A shot of the peloton during the early kilometres of the stage
A new bike for Jonas Vingegaard after the Dane suffers a mechanical issue
NSN continue at the head of the peloton
Still 5:15 between break and peloton
160KM TO GO
5:20 is the gap between the break and the peloton, on what remains a sleepy stage at the Giro d'Italia.
Jai Hindley is looking especially chilled in the peloton, as he shares a joke and a smile with the TV moto.
Jonathan Milan cuts a more serious figure as the TV moto drives us beside him. He'll surely have some lingering disappointment at missing out on the win and what would have been a career first Pink Jersey yesterday.
It’s still NSN who are doing the work pacing the peloton. Though Ethan Vernon was their highest finisher yesterday in this, today they will surely be working for their other, more versatile sprinter Corbyn Strong, given the tough climb that features in the finale.
Though NSN clearly believes in Strong’s chances in a sprint, this stage is difficult to call. It could be that a reduced peloton makes it to the finish together for a sprint contested by the sprinters capable of making it over the climbs, it could also be that puncheurs succeed in breaking clear from the peloton on the final climb - and perhaps even GC contenders could get involved.
150KM TO GO
The race remains in the same holding pattern, with the Ryan Mullen-led peloton 5:07 behind the two leaders.
It's a big day over in Spain, where the peloton is approaching the foot of the mighty Angliru, in what is a historic day at La Vuelta Femenina. You can follow all the action of that race with us too.
Can Paul Magnier stay in the pink jersey? Although the final climb will be difficult for him, he said yesterday that ‘maybe a chance that I can survive if I feel good’
Marcel Kittel is on the roadside handing out a bidon to the Unibet Rose Rockets riders. He seems to be enjoying life back in the cycling world, working as a coach for Groenewegen's team.
We spoke to Ineos race director and former Giro podium finisher Geraint Thomas yesterday, and here's what he had to say about today's stage.
Ryan Mullen is the only man doing any work at the front of the peloton. There are a swarm of Visma riders massed behind him, but they're only interested in keeping leader Jonas Vingegaard up towards the front and therefore safe.
This is a different approach from the one Visma took in the finale of yesterday’s stage, when they stayed towards the back of the peloton - vindicated when they managed to avoid the late crash at the front.
130KM TO GO
5:15 is the gap. Mullen continues to lead, but is clearly not out of breath - he's having a chat with Victor Campanaerts, who, given his interest in the topic, may or may not be giving him some tips about riding aero.
The two riders at the front of the race.
After such a long, sleepy phase of the race, things could be about to liven up. There’s an intermediate sprint coming up in about 5km, followed by two category three climbs in quick succession.
Adam Yates has just had a chat with his team car. Though he’s UAE’s GC man for the race, they have the kind of line-up that could excel hunting stage wins, including today’s - but with who? At his best Jhonatan Narváez looks like a great candidate, though his form is unproven following an injury-disrupted start to the season.
Perhaps Morgado, who showed intent in chasing bonus seconds yesterday, has today in mind - with a potential pink jersey on the cards having picked up that time.
With the intermediate sprint coming up, we're anticipating Milan coming up to the front to try and gain some more points.
Sevilla takes the points uncontested ahead of Maestri. There are points available for the next three riders in the peloton.
Here comes Milan's Lidl to the front.
Yesterday, Groves was the only rider to challenge Milan for the points, but he's further down today.
Magnier in the pink jersey sprints for it, and takes the five points.
Milan takes 3 points, and his Lidl teammate Walscheid takes 1.
So after neglecting to go for the intermediate sprint yesterday, it seems winning the stage has emboldened Magnier to chase the Maglia Ciclamino.
Mullen has taken over again at the front of the peloton as they approach the start of the Byala Pass.
Here’s the updated points classification standings:
1 Magnier 55 points
2 Andresen 35
3 Milan 26
4 Vernon 25
5 Sevilla 20
Having been climbing for several kilometres, the riders have now officially begun the Byala pass. They will spend the next 7.7km riding at a 4.6% gradient.
Mullen continues to pull the peloton.
It's a bit nippy out there - those yellow Visma jerseys have all been covered in black outerlayers.
It's started to drizzle a little.
No more urgency has been shown by the peloton on this climb, where the pace remains slow. This isn’t the kind of all-action racing we’ve grown accustomed to at recent Grand Tours.
KOM - BYALA PASS
Maestri doesn't challenge Sevilla for the points at the top of the climb, so he increases his leader in the KOM rankings.
It's a bit livelier in the peloton now. Teams want to be well-positioned for this descent, especially now the roads are getting wet.
The peloton crest the climb, three minutes after the leaders.
Visma lead the peloton as they begin the descent.
100KM TO GO
The increase in pace on that climb has seen the break's lead to come down to three minutes. The peloton aren't going hard on the descent though, and the road looks pretty dry.
That was only a short descent. The riders are going gently uphill once again, approaching the official start of the Vratnik Pass, which lasts 9.1km at 4.1%.
Mullen has reinforcements at the front of the peloton, with multiple riders from his NSN team helping him set the pace as they ride up the climb.
This climb is being taken on at a mellow pace too, so it appears the determining factor set to decide the fate of this stage will be the final climb.
90KM TO GO
The pace in the peloton is slow enough for the breakaway pair to increase their lead to 3:30.
Such a mellow day could play into the hands of the sprinters, who might be more fresh than they would otherwise have been come the finale, and therefore stand a better chance of surviving the last climb. But which sprinters should we be looking out for?
NSN clearly have the belief that they can control things for Corbin Strong.
In recent years, reduced bunch sprints at Grand Tours has been a speciality of Kaden Groves, who already has two career Giro stage victories to his name. The big question is how well he has recovered from yesterday’s stage, when he was involved in the crash.
Some riders are being dropped out of the peloton as the pace increases. Sprinter De Lie is one of them.
Groenewegen has also gone, but should be able to get back on, as they're just about to reach the top.
De Lie is struggling a lot. He's all on his own, spinning a low gear, and crests the climb about a minute after the peloton.
In the peloton, Visma take control on the descent.
80KM TO GO
The peloton has brought the two leaders much closer, to just 2:18. Meanwhile De Lie has 1:10 to make up if he's to return to the peloton.
Ben Turner is another rider with a fast finishing kick who can also haul himself up a punchy effort like today’s climb. But will Ineos prioritise setting him up, looking after their GC riders, or potentially riding for another candidate in Filippo Ganna?
Ganna is the kind of rider with a powerful punch that could potentially go for an attack on the final climb - but will it just be a little too steep for him? Its average gradient of 6.6% for 4km is tougher than, say, the Poggio climb he has enjoyed such success at in the past.
De Lie has made his way back to the peloton - luckily for him the atmosphere in the peloton is back to being very subdued.
NSN have taken control of the peloton again, with Jake Stewart.
And now Ryan Mullen is back at the front! He was dropped on the climb but has made his way back, and is once again being relied on to set the tempo. On what's been an easy day for pretty much everyone else, he's doing one hell of a shift.
If the final climb is too hard for a rider like Ganna, who could it suit? Giulio Ciccone is a name mentioned by a few team staff at the start of the day as a rider they’re keeping a watch on. The Italian has one of the strongest punches of any of the climbers competing, and rather than target GC, is expected to go for stage wins - and possibly, if he’s feeling good having not brought his best form in the run-in to the Giro, on stages like today’s.
A rider in a similar mould to Ciccone is Santiago Buitrago. He won’t be overly feared by the GC candidates, and therefore might be given more leeway to attack, and is in possession of an explosive uphill acceleration. The Colombian already has two Giro stage wins to his name, but none since 2023.
The weather’s taking a turn for the worse, with rain falling! Enric Mas is among those dropping back to put on a gilet.
Magnier is the latest rider to drop back and pick up a gilet - a very conspicuous pink one.
60KM TO GO
Two minutes for Sevilla and Maestri, with about 45km until the all-important final climb.
The weather has turned pretty nasty out there.
One rider who isn't wearing a coat is Ryan Mullen. He's offered one by his teammate, but declines it with some expressive gestures.
50KM TO GO
We're into the final quarter of what's been a long, slow stage! The break are still holding a lead of two minutes.
When the pace does (eventually) pick up, these wet conditions will make this a tense, dangerous finale - especially on the descent of the climb. Crashes could be on the cards, and the GC riders in particular will have to be very careful to stay upright on these wet roads.
Mechanical for Sepp Kuss. He'll have no problem making his way back to the peloton while the pace is this slow, though his job will be solely looking after Vingegaard, with no intention of looking after his own GC position as a 'plan b' option.
Not only is it wet out there, it's also cold. Magnier's pink jersey isn't keeping him warm enough, and shaking his arms to try and warm up.
Ryan Mullen is practically the only rider visible at the front of the peloton who is not wearing a rain jacket.
Things are heating up - some of the jackets that were being put on are now coming off again. This race is going to ignite soon.
The battle for position in the peloton is on! Visma, Ineos and UAE are all formed into long lines towards the front.
Ineos lead the peloton, as they are about to make the catch.
That's it, Maestri and Sevilla's day out front is over, having spent almost 200km and five hours leading the race. Chapeau!
More rain jackets are being discarded. Gall is getting some help from Decathlon teammate Naesen with his.
The pace is relly up now, with a rainbow of different coloured jerseys lined across the front.
buitrago, Gee-West and Strong among those inolved.
Morgado and Adam Yates also involved.
Most are up on their feet, but some gingerly so.
Adam Yates is trying to get back ono his bike. He's covered in mud, having gone into the ditch.
About 20 riders must have been held up in that crash.
Cavagna looked in a bad way, but is now back on his bike and riding.
20KM TO GO - RACE NEUTRALISED
The race has been neutralised, with the official car moving to the front of the peloton.
Adne Holter is still waiting to get back on his bike, sat up on the floor.
Andrea Vendrame is also still not on his bike after being checked out by the medics, but looks set to continue.
The race did not wait for all the dropped riders to return before restarting. Strong still had some ground to make up, and no sign of where Yates is.
The race is on again, and there are bonus seconds on offer at the Red Bull Kilometre.
And now the race is on for positions onto the final climb, which is imminent.
Astana lead the peloton onto the climb, with Scaroni.
Morgado has been dropped, despite being tipped as a contender for the stage.
Visma take control at the front.
Narváez and Gee are both dropped on the climb, having gone down in the crash.
It's still a big peloton, buy all stretched out single file by Visma's work.
Magnier is dropped - we will have a new pink jersey!
Gee was not dropped on the climb, but rather never made his way back after the crash. He's trying to rejoin the peloton on the climb.
Vingegaard movrs to the front! He's upping the pace on the steeper section.
There are gaps behind, with Bernal, O'Connor and Mas all adrift.
Vingegaard has just 2 riders with him - Giulio Pellizzari and Lenny Van Eetvelt.
It's a big gap - up to 22 seconds already!
Actually, that gap looked exaggerated. It's closer to 15 seconds in reality.
The chase group behind has swelled, with Benal getting back into it.
Bernal, Gall, Arensman, Ciccone, O'Connor, Mas, Caruso are all in the second group behind the 3 leaders.
They're not working together though - the gap is growing, to 23 seconds.
It looks like this trio will contest for the stage - but who will be quickest? It's hard to call as they've all had decent sprints in the past.
There are over 20 riders in the main chase group, including most of the other GC contenders.
Not Adam Yates though - he's nine minutes dow, his pink jersey dreams surely over.
1.5km to go, the gap's come down, to 15 seconds.
They're going up an uphill cobbled section.
The chasers are nearing them!
Jan Christen has attacked, and is going to jopin them.
The leading quartet have been caught; we're going to have a sprint...
Stork is second, and Ciccone third.
What a turn up for the books this is! Few predicted Guillermo Thomas Silva for the victory today.
That was a great finale for Astana, with Scaroni also right up there to lead-out his teammate for victory, and finish fourth himself.
The group that finished together at the finish had 34 riders in it, including most of the GC contenders.
But not all of them. Derek Gee-West never made it back, and loses one minute. And Adam Yates is still yet to finish.
As well as Vine, one other rider abandoned as a result of the day's big crash - Ådne Holter.
What a day this is in the fledgling career of Guillermo Thomas Silva. Not only has the 24-year-old won the stage, he will also have the honour of wearing the pink jersey tomorrow.
The riders sprinting for the win.
Although they were absorbed before the finish and therefore gained no time, the way the three attackers were able to initially build such a big gap is a very promising sign of their form.
Vingegaard looks eager to ride on the front foot, Pellizzari is living up to his billing as the Dane’s main challenger, while Van Eetvelt could be emerging as a dark horse in the GC race.
That was also a great sprint by Stork, who came just a fraction away from what would have been only a second career victory - and a first ever at Grand Tour level for his Tudor Pro Cycling team.
Adam Yates cut a bruised, muddy figure at the finish, when he eventully arrived 13:46 after the leaders.
Thanks for joining us today. It was a slow burn, but a gripping finish - for many good reasons, with thrilling GC attacks and a dramatic catch, but also with the sour note of a large crash which claimed some big victims.
The riders take on their third and final stage in Bulgaria tomorrow, where the sprinters will once again come to the fore for the stage win. We’ll be back with live coverage too, so be sure to log on and tune in
