As it happened: Girmay beats Démare, Van Aert on Tour de Suisse stage 2

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse.

Today's stage brings three third-category climbs along the route, though it's likely to be one for the fastmen in Nottwil.

We're just over half an hour from the stage start.

A 1.1km neutral zone to start the day. The stage proper will start at 13:09 local time.

A look back at yesterday's opening stage as Stefan Küng won the time trial

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Just over five minutes before the riders roll out.

Küng leads the GC and points classification after the time trial. Evenepoel leads the youth classification.

The riders now about to roll out to start stage 2.

The peloton starts the day with a 1km neutral zone.

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174km to go

Attacks from the very start today.

Attacks from Q36.5 and AG2R here.

Nickolas Zukowsky (Q36.5) and Michael Schär (AG2R Citroën) are on the move.

169km to go

It looks like the peloton are happy to let them go already! It might be just a two-man breakaway today...

The Canadian and Swiss already have a minute on the peloton.

Now a short downhill after the early rise to start stage 2.

1:20 for the two leaders.

The riders lined up at the start.

155km to go

Schär and Zukowsky now tackling the first climb of the day, the third-category test at Commle (3km at 5.2%).

They're over three minutes up on the peloton now.

Groupama-FDJ lead the peloton at this early stage.

Zukowsky led Schär over the top of the first climb. He's in the virtual climber's jersey now.

140km to go

The two are 4:30 up on the peloton.

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An average speed of just over 45kph so far.

The leaders now approaching the next third-category climb of Schwarzenbach (3.2km at 6.4%).

127km to go

Four minutes for Zukowsky and Schär.

Zukowsky led the breakaway over the top of the climb. He now has six points to Schär's four points. Groupama-FDJ man Quentin Pacher has two points having led the peloton over the top both times.

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100km to go

Into the final 100km of the stage and the break's gap is at three minutes.

Zukowsky and Schär out on the road today.

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Alpecin-Deceuninck and Soudal-Quickstep are also working at the head of the peloton along with Groupama-FDJ.

The riders are tackling a flatter section of road in the middle of the stage now.

Three sprints and another third-category climb left to go on today's stage.

86km to go

The riders pass the halfway mark of the stage.

Still around 3:25 between the break and peloton currently.

The riders have taken on 1150 metres of climbing now and they have 710 metres left to race across.

Race leader Stefan Küng in the peloton.

75km to go

2:35 now the latest time check to the two breakaway men.

Groupama-FDJ continue at the head of the peloton.

62km to go

Still 2:25 for the break. Not a whole lot going on in the race at the moment.

Belgian champion Tim Merlier in the peloton. He'll be among the favourites for the win later today.

Up over an unclassified hill and down the other side. The riders are speeding towards the intermediate sprint now.

Zukowsky and Schär still working well together out front.

51km to go

Schär leads the way as the break continues at 2:20 up on the peloton.

The second sprint is also uncontested as Schär leads Zukowsky across the line.

Some movement in the peloton as the riders approach the sprint points.

Evenepoel is giving it a go for the bonus second available.

He takes that second at the second of the two sprints.

Evenepoel is now five seconds down on Küng in the overall.

Meanwhile, the breakaway pass through the finish line. A loop around now and then back here later on.

1:35 for the break after that burst of speed in the peloton.

Evenepoel now back in the peloton after his jump off the front.

The peloton strung out during today's stage.

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It's still Alpecin-Deceuninck, Groupama-FDJ, and Soudal-QuickStep working at the head of the peloton.

40km to go

1:20 for the breakaway now.

The gap to the break is only going down now. Just over a minute left for the two leaders.

Various other teams at the head of the peloton now as it spreads across the road. EF and Ineos are among them.

34km to go

The riders are closing in on the last climb of the day.

Big crash in the peloton!

It looks like around 50 riders held up near the rear of the group.

31km to go

Most of the riders look to be relatively unaffected.

50 seconds up to the break.

Seemingly no big GC or sprint names involved in the crash.

Now the breakaway begin the final climb of the day, the third-category Oberarig. It's 3km long at an average of 6.1%.

26km to go

Riders still chasing on to the rear of the peloton after the crash.

Sam Oomen takes to the front of the peloton for Jumbo-Visma.

30 seconds for the break now.

Oomen really pushing the pace.

Jumbo-Visma and Trek-Segafredo are both prominent at the head of the peloton.

25km to go

Zukowsky leads Schär on the way up. Just 20 seconds now.

The peloton strung out under the high pace at the front.

Not long left for the breakaway now.

And now Zukowsky pushes on at the front.

Schär is caught.

Zukowsky is still hanging on as he approaches the top of the climb.

The Canadian rider leads the race across the top before he's caught.

Zukowsky with another three mountain points there. He's on nine for the day and will wear the KOM jersey later today.

Oomen leading the peloton on the way up.

It's all about the race to the line and the sprint now.

20km to go

Another intermediate sprint coming up on this plateau and then a descent towards Nottwil.

An attack from Alexander Kamp (Tudor)

More riders go behind.

Van Aert among the riders making moves but nothing goes.

17km to go

Now Alex Aranburu (Movistar) goes.

Aranburu now caught.

Van Aert nips out of the peloton to take 10 points at the intermediate sprint.

13km to go

On the downhill run now.

Groupama-FDJ, Israel-Premier Tech, Trek-Segafredo, Arkéa-Samsic all up front.

9km to go

No attacks in the peloton as they speed along to the finish.

The sprint squads all moving to the front.

5km to go

Groupama-FDJ currently lined up front.

Jayco-AlUla and Alpecin-Deceuninck move up.

4km to go

Ineos Grenadiers also there.

Trek-Segafredo there, too.

3km to go

The GC men are now safe as we hit the final 3km.

No one team in control at the moment.

The peloton is spread across the road.

2km to go

Still all safe on this flat and straight run.

Arkéa-Samsic, TotalEnergies, Team DSM also up front.

A lot of teams represented up front.

1km to go

DSM lead the way.

Groupama-FDJ nowhere after all that work.

Wout van Aert goes long!

The Belgian launches at just over 300 metres to go!

Van Aert vs Girmay

Girmay hits the front with 100 metres to go.

Van Aert fades late on.

Finish

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) wins Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse!

Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) came through late for second place ahead of Van Aert.

Second win of the year for Girmay!

A group of Eritrean fans mob Girmay after the finish.

11 career wins for Girmay now.

Girmay's winning shot.

Girmay showing his form ahead of his Tour de France debut.

The stage 2 results.

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Here's what Girmay had to say after his win today...

"When I crossed the line I was just surprised. Two months ago with a hard crash I didn't have enough time to train to be in shape. I surprised myself.

"It means a lot. I knew that nobody [Eritrean] has won in the Tour de Suisse but to win for the first time in front of my people was amazing. I'm just so happy."

Girmay mobbed by his fans after the finish.

Here's the updated GC as Evenepoel closes in on Küng by a second.

Three big climbing days coming up – they won't be for the likes of Küng, Girmay, Démare, and Van Aert.

That's all from us for live coverage of stage 2, though. Be sure to come back for more from Switzerland in the coming days.