Tour Poitou-Charentes: Dorian Godon wins stage 2 while runner-up Arnaud Démare moves into GC lead

French road champion Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) carried the national colours across the uphill finish in Gond Pontouvre to win stage 2 of Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine.

He moved away from Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) on the stiff 6% incline on the final 200 metres for his third road victory of the season. Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) gave France a podium sweep with third place.

Démare, wearing the points classification jersey, earned the leader's jersey with his second consecutive runner-up spot. Godon is now second overall, tied on time at 2 seconds back with stage 1 winner Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies).

Arkéa-B&B Hotel's urgency in the chase ended the breakaway effort by Martijn Rasenberg (Parkhotel Valkenburg) with 3.5km to go, the 23-year-old Dutch rider trying to go solo in the final dozen kilometres having been part of an original lead group of four for more than 160km.

From Jonzac, the peloton headed south-east for a flat 175.5km route to Gond Ponteuvre, with a breakaway forming straightaway with points on offer at Marignac just 7.5km into the affair.

Four points and three bonus seconds were scooped up by Rasenberg, with Gabriele Raccagni (Polti Visit Malta) second and Rasenberg's teammate Nils Sinschek getting a single point. A third Parkhotel rider, Mathis Avondts, comprised the front group, who had opened a gap after that first intermediate sprint.

With 55km covered, Rasenberg was the first across the line at the second of three sprint points. Just 4km later, the quartet crested the first of six categorised climbs, none of them stretching beyond 1.5km in length but providing short, punchy climbs to spice up the day of racing. Once across the Côte des Lacs Bleus, the breakaway had 4 minutes in hand.

Côte de Brossac followed 16km later and then Côte de Villebois-Lavalette, leaving 63km to go, and the foursome rode on under the overcast skies, the gap settling at 3 minutes. Among the teams most attentive in the chase were Arkéa-B&B Hotels for their sprinter Arnaud Démare.

Approaching the final intermediate sprint in Mornac, light rain began to fall. Raccagni reached the line ahead of Rasenberg to take the top points and bonus seconds on offer. The peloton had only increased their pace slightly, stalking the foursome at 2:45 back.

After cresting the Côte du Maine Quérant, the longest ascent of the day at 1.5km and averaging 5.3% gradient, the sprint duo of Raccagni and Rasenberg dropped their companions and set off for the final two climbs on offer.

Rasenberg took advantage of his momentum across the top of the final climb, Côte de Viville (700 metres at 6.1%), and used it as a solo springboard for the final 10km of the race. However, the peloton were already in high gear and shut down his effort 3.5km short of the finish, the teams of Decathlon AG2R, Arkéa-B&B Hotels and Cofidis setting up the sprint on the final climb.

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