As it happened: Tadej Pogačar storms into pink on Oropa

Buongiorno and welcome to our live coverage of stage 2 of the 2024 Giro d'Italia!

Day two in the 'Fight for Pink' and we already have a summit finish! And it isn't just any old summit finish. It is the Santuario di Oropa, or just Oropa for short. 

After yesterday's surprising win by Ineos Grenadiers' Jhonatan Narváez as he pipped another surprise in Max Schachmann of Bora-Hansgrohe to the stage and the first pink jersey of the race, a certain Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) will be very keen to stamp his authority today.

Pogačar was, as ever, gracious in defeat saying that Narváez was simply faster than him and that he went too early. Adding "Unfortunately it was not our day but we still did a good job." 

Read more at >>> Tadej Pogačar upbeat despite narrow defeat in opening Giro d’Italia stage 

It appeared that Jhonatan Narváez agrees with Tadej Pogačar on how the sprint went as the Ecuadorian champion ended up winning quite comfortably. 

Read more at >>> 'I think Pogačar went too long’ – Jhonatan Narváez tears up script in Giro d’Italia opener 

Two-time Giro d'Italia winner, Vincenzo Nibali, gave his view on today's finish:

“Oropa is a stage that everybody knows all about and everybody’s legs should be very fresh this early in the Giro, but it’s a difficult climb to interpret,” Nibali told Cyclingnews on Saturday.

To read more on 'The Shark of Messina' and his views on the race click the link below...

>>> ‘It depends on what Pogačar wants to do’ – Oropa summit finish on stage 2 will shake Giro d’Italia 

Just over 45 minutes to go until the start of the stage. Unfortunately, it is not a full peloton starting today as Dutch veteran, Robert Gesink, has had to leave the race due to his injuries being too much after his crash yesterday. Disappointing for Visma-Lease a Bike. 

The riders are heading to sign on and getting ready for the start in San Francesco al Campo on the outdoor velodrome there. 

The jerseys after stage one:

Pink - Jhonatan Narváez (ECU) Ineos Grenadiers
Ciclamino - Jhonatan Narváez (ECU) Ineos Grenadiers*
Blue - Lilian Calmejane (FRA) Intermarche-Wanty
White - Alex Baudin (FRA) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale

*The points jersey is being worn by VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane rider, Filippo Fiorelli, while Calmejane is 2nd in the standings he wears the KoM jersey out right so Fiorelli gets his big moment. 

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike) is feeling confident going into today's stage...

The riders are all lined up on the start line with the jerseys at the front. 

The neutral start has begun! The riders have set off towards kilometre zero of stage two at the 107th Giro d'Italia. 

Simon Clarke and Marco Frigo of Israel-Premier Tech taking their time to set off and join the rest of the peloton. 

Just under 5km until the official start. 

The sun is shining but there are some grey clouds around. Nice temperatures. Currently 19 degrees centigrade on Oropa with little chance of rain. 

Some riders who may have been targeting the GC that lost time yesterday were:

30. Storer (AUS) TUD +57"
34. Pozzovivo (ITA) VBF +1'07"
35. Quintana (COL) MOV
39. Bardet (FRA) DFP all S.T.
47. Arensman (NED) IGD +2'27"
54. Lipowitz (GER) BOH +2'35"
72. Woods (CAN) IPT +8'23"
78. V. Paret-Peintre (FRA) DAT S.T.

They will maybe start their recovery today, perhaps.

161km to go

We are racing!! The flag has dropped and the racing can begin for the second day in the Giro. 

Attack!

Immediately, it is the points jersey of Filippo Fiorelli (VFB) who accelerates first with five others. 

For a moment, the break looked to have gone, but EF Education-EasyPost try and go and they are followed by a UAE Team Emirates rider, which means the pace rockets behind. 

EF Education-EasyPost are now chasing the break and constantly firing riders off the front. UAE Team Emirates and Ineos Grenadiers have riders in this new chase move, too. 

Now 15 riders out of the front of the peloton and it is going nowhere. 

Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana) are now in the chase group that is now swept up by the peloton. 

Currently travelling on the flat at 61kph! An absolutely mad start. UAE Team Emirates are not happy with how many riders are up the road now with Molano doing the work. 

Break caught. 

Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates have almost the entire team at the front of the bunch, marking moves. 

Attack

Five riders now get a gap including Scaroni (AST) and Fiorelli (VBF). 

Cofidis are not happy as they have missed the move. But they are marked by Polti-Kometa and EF Education-EasyPost, who do have men in the break. That drags Ineos and UAE out as well and they now all sit up and block new moves with five riders clear. 

Tim Merlier (SOQ) stops for a natural break and Juan Pedro Lopez (LTK) has a mechanical.

Break formed

Fiorelli (ITA) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane +11'13"
Marcellusi (ITA) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane +8'23"
Piccolo (ITA) EF Education-EasyPost +1'07"
D. Bais (ITA) Polti-Kometa +8'23"
Scaroni (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan +2'15"

150km to go

The breakaway's gap is rapidly increasing as the peloton allow them to create a gap to avoid new counter attacks. The gap now sits at +1'18".

Mechanical

Tim Merlier (SOQ) having issues with his new bike. He has already had a bike change today. 

Ineos Grenadiers send three riders to the front of the peloton and they have blinked first. The British team take up the traditional role of riding on the front of the peloton to protect pink and showing confidence into Geraint Thomas. 

140km to go

The race has settled into a very traditional pattern now. the break has been given it's gap and the team of the pink jersey, Ineos Grenadiers, have taken on the role of pacing. 

The Ineos Grenadiers riders on the front are Connor Swift, Magnus Sheffield and Filippo Ganna with Bora-Hansgrohe, Decathlon-AG2R and UAE Team Emirates sit just behind with their domestiques. 

Rear puncture

Florian Stork (GER) Tudor

Connor Swift is now on his own on the front of the peloton for Ineos Grenadiers. Behind him, five Decathlon-AG2R riders. Then the UAE Team Emirates riders. 

130km to go

Bahrain Victorious, Visma-Lease a Bike and Groupama-FDJ now sit in front of the UAE Team Emirates riders in the peloton. 

The final stage of La Vuelta Femenina has finished... To see what happened, read our race report by clicking HERE.

120km to go

Around 50km to the first intermediate sprint of the day. 

It is a special moment for Andrea Piccolo (EFE) today. The former wearer of the red jersey at La Vuelta is from the same region as today's stage. He was born just 51km from the stage route, today. Filippo Ganna (IGD) is the most local at 39km. 

Cofidis tried multiple times to be in the breakaway today. They managed yesterday with Nicolas Debeaumarche. Today, Thomas Champion and Stefano Oldani, but no luck for the only WorldTour team without a win this season. 

110km to go

The race is very settled into the day now. The issue we have is that the stage is very back loaded with intermediate sprints, KoM sprints, InterGiro sprint, Bonus sprints and the rest of the weird and wonderful smaller competitions in the Giro d'Italia. 

Piccolo (EFE) is the current virtual leader. He has around a minute on the next man, Scaroni (AST) who is also in the break. 

100km to go

Connor Swift (IGD) takes a natural break and Rui Oliveira (UAD) now takes over on the front of the peloton with Ben Swift (IGD) on his wheel. The break are still ticking along nicely. 

My main memory of breakaway rider, Martin Marcellusi (VBF), is his aggressive breakaway performance at last years Eschborn-Frankfurt. He held the peloton off for quite some time if I remember correctly. A strong rider. We, of course, know a lot more about the others in the break due to their impressive palmares. 

90km to go

20km to the first intermediate sprint of the day. 

Geraint Thomas (IGD) returning from a natural break. He and his team have taken their time in getting back in. They have just been tapping in the cars for a while to save as much energy as possible. 

80km to go

The race are just riding passed what look like rice fields. Likely for risotto. 

It is a very pleasant day in the peloton today. 

We are now over half way in today's stage. 

Just 5km to the first intermediate sprint of the day. Fiorelli (VBF) will likely take maximum points. It is the fight of the sprinters behind the break that will be the most interesting battle. 

Ineos Grenadiers are moving to the front of the peloton with every single rider to keep Thomas and Narváez safe at the front. A major change on the front of the bunch. 

The sprinters teams are just moving up too as Kaden Groves (ADC) and Fernando Gaviria (MOV) are the first to get into position. 

Intermediate sprint

1. Fiorelli (ITA) VBF 12pts
2. D. Bais (ITA) PTK 8pts
3. Marcellusi (ITA) VBF) 6pts
4. Scaroni (ITA) AST 5pts
5. Piccolo (ITA) EFE 4pts
6. Groves (AUS) ADC 3pts
7. Kooij (NED) TVL 2pts
8. Ewan (AUS) JAY 1pt

Fiorelli (VBF) is now the official leader of the points classification, he has jumped from third to first. Rather fitting that he is wearing the Maglia Ciclamino skinsuit. 

Now the climbing begins. First of five climbs with them getting longer and harder as we head to the finish. 

60km to go

Vegard Stake Laengen (UAD) take over from Rui Oliveira (UAD) on the front of the peloton. The gap has dropped dramatically in the last 10 or so kilometres. 

Crash!

Eddie Dunbar (IRE) Jayco-AlUla
Olav Kooij (NED) Visma-Lease a Bike
Filippo Zana (ITA) Jayco-AlUla
Nicola Conci (ITA) Alpecin-Deceuninck

All back riding. 

Olav Kooij (TVL) is back at the doctor's car getting the wound on his right knee seen to. 

The race are currently on a very technical descent. Looks lovely but very stressful for the peloton to deal with. 

UAE Team Emirates now have three riders on the front of the bunch and are stringing the bunch out. 

Kooij (TVL) leaves the doctor's car and has now been replaced by Dunbar (JAY) who also requires medical attention. 

The pace is absolutely rapid in the peloton now as the Grupetto is being formed at the back of the bunch. 

Inter Giro sprint

1. Fiorelli (ITA) VBF 12pts 3"
2. Piccolo (ITA) EFE 8pts 2"
3. D. Bais (ITA) PTK 6pts 1"
4. Scaroni (ITA) AST 5pts
5. Marcellusi (ITA) VBF 4pts
6. Ewan (AUS) JAY 3pts
7. Van Poppel (NED) BOH 2pts
8. Groves (AUS) ADC 1pt

Our guys on the ground in Italy, Barry Ryan and Alasdair Fotheringham, have been busy and have been speaking the UAE Team Emirates sports director about today's stage.

Fabio Baldato before the stage: "The idea is for us to begin the climb all together or at least with the breakaway with only a small advantage, and then we need to make it hard enough for Tadej. It’s not the hardest climb and a rider like Narvaez is also fast at the end so you can’t underestimate him. He could sit on the wheel even to the end like he did yesterday.” 

Attack

Andrea Piccolo (EFE) has attacked the breakaway and has gone solo. 

Onto the first catergorised climb of the day. The Oasi Zagna. 

Dropped

Filippo Fiorelli (VBF) as sat up from the breakaway after taking maximum points in the early intermediate sprints. 

Crash

Attila Valter (HUN) Visma-Lease a Bike
Kevin Vermaerke (USA) DSM-Firmenich-PostNL

UAE Team Emirates lead the peloton but Ineos Grenadiers, Visma-Lease a Bike and Bahrain Victorious are just hanging on their shoulders. 

All the sprinters have just been distanced along with the first of the UAE Team Emirates riders, Oliveira. 

Tudor having an issue as they have three riders trying to bring Michael Storer back to the bunch. 

40km to go

Piccolo (EFE) is holding the gap over the peloton very well. In fact, he is putting time into the peloton and the breakaway. An impressive ride so far. 

Attack

Harrison Wood (COF) has made an acceleration off the front of the peloton to try and bridge the gap. 

Wood (COF) flew passed Fiorelli (VBF) who has now been swallowed up by the peloton. 

KoM

1. Piccolo (ITA) EFE 9pts
2. Marcellusi (ITA) VBF 4pts
3. Scaroni (ITA) AST 2pts
4. D. Bais (ITA) PTK 1pt

Caught

Harrison Wood (COF) has been caught just over the top of the climb by the peloton which is now led by Ineos Grenadiers again. An interesting change at the front as the battle of whits and tactics continues between Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates. 

30km to go

Filippo Ganna (IGD) has really strung the peloton out on this very twisty road. The bunch is in one long line. Ineos Grenadiers have all their riders on the front, followed by UAE Team Emirates. 

Onto the next categorised climb. Nelva. 5km at an average of 5.7% maxing at 12%. 

Attack

Scaroni (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan
Marcellusi (ITA) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane

They distance Davide Bais (PTK). They now try to chase Piccolo (EFE) and the minor KoM points. 

Crash

Domenico Pozzovivo (ITA) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane
Simone Velasco (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan
Georg Steinhauser (GER) EF Education-EasyPost

Caught

Davide Bais (ITA) Polti-Kometa

KoM

1. Piccolo (ITA) EFE 9pts
2. Scaroni (ITA) AST 4pts
3. Marcellusi (ITA) VBF 2pts
4. Ganna (ITA) IGD 1pt

20km to go

Marcellusi (VBF) was just holding on ahead of the peloton but now he has rejoined Scaroni (AST) after a dare devil descent. 

Caught

Christian Scaroni (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan
Martin Marcellusi (ITA) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane

We are heading to the bonus sprint where 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds are available. Piccolo (EFE) will take the 3" but who will take the 2" and 1"? 

What an effort this is by Andrea Piccolo (EFE).

Crash

Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates

Bonus sprint

1. Andrea Piccolo (ITA) EF Education-EasyPost 3"
2. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 2"
3. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers 1"

10km to go

Pogačar is just over 20" back on the Ineos Grenadiers led peloton. He has a front puncture and the tyre came off as he went round a bend. UAE Team Emirates get him back to the bunch as they start the climb to the sanctuary of Oropa. 

Tadej Pogačar (UAD) is right at the front of the peloton and UAE Team Emirates now challenge Ineos Grenadiers on the front of the peloton. 

Großschartner (UAD) now takes it up on the front of the peloton. 

Bora-Hansgrohe moving Dani Martinez up with Florian Lipowitz looking after him. This is the sort of stage that suits his credentials, but how's his form? 

Caught

Andrea Piccolo (ITA) EF Education-EasyPost

What a ride by him. 

Meanwhile, Julian Alaphilippe (SOQ) is dropped. 

Dropped

Max Schachmann (BOH)
Nairo Quintana (MOV)

Mikkel Bjerg (UAD) has upped the pace massively. 

5km to go

Onto the hardest part of the climb and the peloton has shrunk hugely. Domen Novak (UAD) has to pull out of the line, only Rafal Majka (UAD) left to set up the attack from Tadej Pogačar (UAD). 

Dani Martinez (BOH) is struggling along with Aurelien Paret-Peintre (DAT), Thymen Arensman (IGD) and Luke Plapp (JAY).

Attack!

Tadej Pogačar (UAD)

Ben O'Connor (DAT) can follow with Geraint Thomas (IGD) chasing. 

4km to go

Tadej Pogačar (UAD) goes solo! 

Thomas (IGD) is back with O'Connor (DAT). They are about 15" behind Pogačar (UAD). 

Behind the main chasing duo, it is Cian Uijtdebroeks (TVL) who is 4th on the road with Einer Rubio (MOV) looking good in 5th for the moment. 

3km to go

The other GC riders are slowly coming back to Thomas (IGD) and O'Connor (DAT). That duo is just +16" down on Tadej Pogačar (UAD). 

Caruso (TBV) and Tiberi (TBV) slipping and are in the pink jersey group along with Bardet (DFP). 

Uijtdebroeks (TVL) joins O'Connor (DAT) and Thomas (IGD) and now the rest of this chase group comes back to them too. 12 riders chasing Pogačar (UAD).

Attack

Martinez (BOH)
Storer (TUD)

They are caught and the pace stalls. 

2km to go

Lipowitz (BOH) is now working for Martinez (BOH). Lutsenko (AST), O'Connor (DAT) and Chaves (EFE) have all been dropped. 

Ben O'Connor (DAT) may have gone too deep when he tried to follow Pogačar (UAD). 

Flamme Rouge

Pogačar (UAD) has +31" on the Lipowitz (BOH) led peloton. 

500 metres to go for the Slovenian national champion.

Tadej Pogačar wins stage two of the Giro d'Italia 2024 and he also takes the Maglia Rosa. 

Behind, Dani Martinez (BOH) takes 2nd and Geraint Thomas (IGD) in 3rd but Pogačar (UAD) didn't take the gigantic race ending gap just yet. 

Stage two top ten

1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:54'20"
2. Daniel Martinez (COL) Bora-Hansgrohe +27"
3. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan
5. Florian Lipowitz (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe all S.T.
6. Michael Storer (AUS) Tudor +30"
7. Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike
8. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar all S.T.
9. Juan Pedro Lopez (SPA) Lidl-Trek +35"
10. Jan Hirt (CZE) Soudal-QuickStep +37"

General Classification

1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 7:08'29"
2. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers +45"
3. Daniel Martinez (COL) Bora-Hansgrohe S.T.
4. Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike +54"
5. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar S.T.
6. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) Astana Qazaqstan +1'05"
7. Juan Pedro Lopez (SPA) Lidl-Trek +1'09"
8. Jan Hirt (CZE) Soudal-QuickStep +1'11"
9. Esteban Chaves (COL) EF Education-EasyPost +1'24"
10. Ben O'Connor (AUS) Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale S.T.

It was a masterful performance by his team once Tadej Pogačar (UAD) made it back to the front of the peloton. He leads Geraint Thomas (IGD) and Dani Martinez (BOH) by +45" in the General Classification. 

Jerseys after stage two

Pink - Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates
Ciclamino - Filippo Fiorelli (ITA) VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane
Blue - Tadej Pogačar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates*
White - Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Visma-Lease a Bike

*Blue worn by - Dani Martinez (COL) Bora-Hansgrohe

Tadej Pogačar (UAD) has now completed the Grand Tour set after his three stage wins at La Vuelta a Espana and 9 stage wins at the Tour de France. 

Geraint Thomas (IGD) said that they expected this move by Tadej Pogačar (UAD) and was hoping to follow but he didn't want to blow. 

Thomas (IGD) also said how he "felt bad" for sitting on the wheel of Ben O'Connor (DAT) as he was on his limit for a bit. 

The reason Ineos Grenadiers worked in the climbs was to stay safe rather than anything else due to the tight and twisty roads. 

The first pink jersey of many at this race for Tadej Pogačar (UAD), I imagine. 

Antonio Tiberi (TBV) lost +2'24" today after reportedly having a puncture just as the climb started. Very frustrating for a very on form rider. 

That brings our live coverage of the Giro d'Italia stage two to a close. Thank you very much for following. 

Please have a read of our race report of the stage by clicking the link below. As well as keeping an eye on all the other stories coming through on our site. 

>>> Giro d'Italia: Tadej Pogačar crashes but then cracks rivals with solo attack to win stage 2 to Oropa