Stage 2 preview
Les Essarts – Les Essarts
Early test for the favourites
Measuring just 23km and on flat roads all the way, this team time trial test is designed to split up the contenders for the yellow jersey but not to the point where any of them end up totally out of contention. The equivalent stage run over 19.3km on the opening day of May's Giro d'Italia ended with just 73 seconds separating HTC in first place and Euskaltel in last. On that basis the gap between top and bottom today shouldn't be as much as two minutes, but that same Giro stage also suggests that euskaltel leader Samuel Sánchez is likely to be the main loser here.
Details -
Distance: 23 km
Highest point: 76m
Category: Team time-trial
Vin Denson says...
"It's a great spectacle, even though it's short and flat. It won't make any major difference unless somebody crashes. Garmin and Liquigas are in the frame but I wouldn't look beyond HTC. They're super-powerful and they'll be really motivated…"
Stage map
Stage profile
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
Tour de Suisse 2025 start list
Official start list for 2025 Tour de Suisse -
'I think she could give a bit extra' - Vollering out-matched by Reusser in Tour de Suisse Women stage 1
Reusser explains how 'second group syndrome' played a crucial role in her stage-winning tactics -
UCI rejects One Cycling project inclusion in WorldTour
Future of new scheme in question as men's and women's WorldTour races decided through 2028 -
'Nothing bad, just some skin off' – Remco Evenepoel uninjured in Critérium du Dauphiné crash, but loses Tour de France domestique to earlier incident
After already losing Mikel Landa at the Giro, Soudal-QuickStep see Louis Vervaeke crash out with fractured collarbone