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Critérium du Dauphiné stage 2 – Live coverage

Critérium du Dauphiné 2021 profiles

(Image credit: ASO)

Critérium du Dauphiné 2021

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the second stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

The teams are currently signing-on at the start in Brioude ahead of the 172.8-kilometre second stage.

Lotto Soudal's Brent Van Moer holds the race lead – as well as the points, KOM and youth jerseys – after soloing to victory on Sunday's opening stage. The win comes shortly after he lost a chance to win at the Ronde van Limburg after a signalman sent him the wrong way in the final kilometre.

There's plenty of climbing coming up today, with five categorised climbs on the route including the second-category Côte de la forêt de Pourcheresse which peaks just six kilometres from the line. We should see a GC shakeup.

The riders will be kicking off today's stage in 20 minutes' time.

Three-time Dauphiné winner Chris Froome at sign-in.

Geraint Thomas hopes to continue winning run at Critérium du Dauphiné

The peloton have set off to start the stage, though there will be 10 minutes of riding through the neutral zone before they get going properly.

While Van Moer holds all the jerseys today, Sonny Colbrelli will be wearing green after sprinting to second place on stage 1. Cyril Gautier will be in the polka dot KOM jersey, while Patrick Gamper wears white.

172.8km to go

Froome has a mechanical problem early on, maybe a saddle issue. He's back at his team car.

He's back in the peloton now while several riders try to get away. It's a high pace at the start.

158km to go

Trek-Segafredo and Bahrain Victorious chase.

After 18 kilometres of racing, the break has 30 seconds. Could this be our move of the day?

Yep, it looks like that's it. 1:25 now.

145km to go

No big threats in this break, so the peloton were happy to let them go.

Delaplace and Pöstlberger are 35 seconds down on GC. Archbold and Power are at 4:47, while Holmes. is at 7:20.

A look at the peloton during the early stages of today's race

138km to go

Ineos Grenadiers are unsurprisingly pulling the peloton. They have several GC options, including Geraint Thomas, Tao Geoghegan Hart, and Richie Porte.

Here's our break of the day, led here by Holmes.

124km to go

It's the hardest climb of the day but there are four more between the riders and the finish today.

An upping of pace in the peloton brings the gap down to 3:50 on the climb.

The break are heading over the top of the climb now.

116km to go

A long descent now, ahead of the gradual climb of the third-cat Côte de la Vachellerie.

3:55 between break and peloton as they reach the base of the climb (8km, 4.1 per cent).

Ineos Grenadiers in charge of the peloton.

Ian Garrison (Deceuninck-QuickStep) has abandoned the race. He was in the break on stage 1. No word yet on whether he crashed or is sick.

95km to go

It's raining out on the course now, but that doesn't deter Holmes from grabbing another two points at the top of the climb. Delaplace took second.

88km to go

Pöstlberger-Delaplace-Power was the order across the intermediate sprint. The break remains 3:25 up on the Ineos-led peloton.

The riders are on rolling terrain now ahead of the next climb of the day, which lies just under 30 kilometres away.

Benjamin Perry (Astana-Premier Tech) has abandoned the race.

5 conclusions from the 2021 Giro d'Italia

The riders have passed the 100km mark now and the gap is exactly three minutes.

63km to go

Power has been detached from the break. Four left out front.

Holmes, Archbold, Delaplace and Pöstlberger remain on the front as they tackle the hilly midpoint of the stage.

Power is brought back by the peloton.

The break tackle a descent.

55km to go

The Bora-Hansgrohe man is quickly shut down by his breakmates, though.

Just under three minutes is the current advantage.

The gap is only coming down now. 2:30 as Ineos up the pace.

Holmes grabs a point over the top, beating Delaplace to the line. Pöstlberger and Archbold further back.

42km to go

Trek-Segafredo and Cofidis also up front in the peloton now. The pace is slackening a little with the gap up to 2:15.

32km to go

No time check to Holmes and Delaplace yet.

Ineos and Bahrain continue to control the peloton.

28km to go

The peloton is easing up here. 2:40 now.

Pöstlberger is putting a few bike lengths into Archbold on this descent.

10 kilometres to the bottom of the next climb but there is a short section in the valley at the bottom of the descent.

Holmes and Delaplace are 50 seconds behind the leaders. Archbold back at the front now.

20km to go

The leaders are in the valley now.

A handful of riders have clipped off the front of the peloton.

The Trek-Segafredo duo of Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven have gone on the move.

The Côte de la forêt de Pourcheresse (6.9km at 6.4 per cent) is coming up.

2:50 from Pöstlberger to the peloton. Jumbo-Visma and Ineos are both up front.

14km to go

Holmes brought back by the peloton.

Three minutes back to the peloton.

Riders spat out the rear of the peloton on the climb as Jumbo-Visma push on.

12km to go

Marco Brenner (DSM) makes a move from the peloton.

10km to go

Ineos control the peloton. Yellow jersey Van Moer is struggling at the back.

Tim Wellens drops back to help Van Moer. It looks like he's out of the race lead today.

Felix Gall (DSM) tries a move now.

8km to go

Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos) and Warren Barguli (Arkéa-Samsic) dropped now.

Gall is caught by the peloton now. Ineos continue to pace the still-large group.

The gap suddenly drops to 55 seconds.

7km to go

The fourth-cat Côte de Masset (1.5km at 5.1 per cent) is coming up.

Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) attacks over the top.

O'Connor was in our riders to watch for this race...

5km to go

O'Connor is flying along at the moment. 30 seconds back,

He's the only man who made a move stick from the peloton so far. Nobody else is going.

25 seconds to O'Connor and thne another 25 to the peloton, led by Bahrain and Movistar.

4km to go

Now a welcome descent for Pöstlberger. Can he hold on?

The peloton flew up that hill and they've caught O'Connor now!

Bahrain push on with Colbrelli in the peloton. 20 seconds to Pöstlberger.

3km to go

The peloton can see Pöstlberger just up the road.

2km to go

And he's still in the virtual yellow, too.

1km to go

It looks like Pöstlberger has this...

400 to go!

Pöstlberger has done it!

Lukas Pöstlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage 2!

Colbrelli leads the peloton home 11 seconds later.

Another win for the breakaway.

Valverde was third on the stage.

Van Moer crosses the line over three minutes down. Pöstlberger is in yellow tonight.

Here's what the stage winner had to say after the stage today...

A shot of the winner today.

Pöstlberger in yellow on the podium.

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