2012 Tour de France, Stage 2 Results

Just about every team in the peloton had someone on the front of the peloton at some point of the final 10km of the 207.5km stage from Vise to Tournai but Sky was relatively anonymous in the final rush to the line. Instead it was Lotto-Belisol and Orica-GreenEdge that had the strength of numbers in the final kilometer. Greg Henderson charged into the front and delivered André Greipel to the 250 meter to go mark and that's when the giant German turned on the turbo... and very nearly claimed his second Tour stage win. But behind him was Mark Cavendish who judged the sprint to perfection and did what he does so well: win! That's 21 stage wins in six years for the reigning world champion. Goss, Veelers, Petacchi (Lampre-ISD), and Peter sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) rounded out the next finishing four positions.

Fabian Cancellara finished 44th in the same group as Cavendish, he will continue to wear the yellow jersey in stage three.

Petacchi was quite satisfied with his result today saying, "As a first step it's not so bad, mainly because my legs had good feelings in the final part of the stage. I was satisfied about how I approached the last kilometers but Veelers passed me and took the position ahead of mine so I needed to launch again but by then Cavandish and Greipel were unreachable".

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) was 6th, conquering enough points to become the new leader of points classification and wearer of the green jersey (78 points versus 63 for Cavendish, second). "I’m glad to have taken the jersey," said Sagan. "I want to hold it as much as possible. I know that won’t be easy, as today it wasn’t easy to compete because of stress and dangers: it was clear in the first mass sprint that want to be in front of the group. However, it was a useful test to know how to sprint here at the Tour de France: I’m also here also for this, every chance is a good opportunity to learn something and not make mistakes in the next sprint.Today, Sagan began racing aboard a custom-painted "Tourminator” Cannondale Evo (click on photos to enlarge):

Tomorrow: Stage 3, the Tour enters France, Orchies-Boulogne-sur-Mer, 197 km. TdF analysis by Jean-François Pescheux:
"We are now in France and ready to start from Orchies, a familiar place for classics specialists. One could be forgiven for thinking we have come for the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix, but we are actually going to ride straight away from them towards the hills of the Boulonnais. Six big climbs in 100 kilometres, four of which in the last 16 kilometres. This could mark the opening of hostilities in the Tour. There is no way the sprinters will be there at the finish, which will be decided at the same place as the French Championships won by Chavanel. I think the bunch will be smashed to smithereens."

Photos by: Bettini

GC:
1 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) RadioShack-Nissan 10:02:31
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:07
3 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:10
5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:11
6 Denis Menchov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:13
7 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
8 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:00:17
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:18
10 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Sharp
11 Andreas Klöden (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:19
12 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:21
13 Maxime Monfort (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:22
14 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
15 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Sharp
16 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
17 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:23
18 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
19 Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team 0:00:24
20 Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) RadioShack-Nissan
21 Wouter Poels (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
22 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale
23 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin - Sharp
24 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:25
25 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling
26 Pieter Weening (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
27 Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Blr) Sky Procycling
28 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:26
29 Koen De Kort (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:00:27
30 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:28
31 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:29
32 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
33 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
34 Thomas Danielson (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:00:31
35 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:00:34
36 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:35
37 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team
38 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:37
39 Dominik Nerz (Ger) Liquigas-Cannondale
40 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Lampre - ISD
41 Lieuwe Westra (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
42 Frank Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:38
43 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
44 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
45 Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:00:40
46 Robert Kiserlovski (Cro) Astana Pro Team 0:00:42
47 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
48 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:00:43
49 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:45
50 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
51 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:00:46
52 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:00:47
53 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:48
54 Tony Gallopin (Fra) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:52
55 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
56 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:53
57 Rob Ruijgh (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
58 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar
59 Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:54
60 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Katusha Team 0:00:57
61 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:00
62 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:01
63 Chris Anker Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
64 Yury Trofimov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:01:05
65 Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Movistar Team
66 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:06
67 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Movistar Team
68 Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:07
69 Giovanni Bernaudeau (Fra) Team Europcar 0:01:08
70 Cyril Gautier (Fra) Team Europcar 0:01:09
71 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:01:10
72 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:20
73 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:01:21
74 Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
75 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre - ISD 0:01:23
76 Andrey Kashechkin (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:24
77 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:01:26
78 Christopher Horner (USA) RadioShack-Nissan 0:01:29
79 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:30
80 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
81 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 0:01:38
82 Christopher Froome (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:01:41
83 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Astana Pro Team 0:01:42
84 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:01:46
85 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:47
86 Federico Canuti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:01:48
87 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:55
88 Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:01:57
89 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
90 Simone Stortoni (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:02:01
91 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar 0:02:02
92 Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar 0:02:03
93 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:02:09
94 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:02:16
95 Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:02:18
96 Christophe Kern (Fra) Team Europcar 0:02:21
97 Luis Angel Mate Mardones (Spa) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:22
98 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:02:27
99 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:29
100 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
101 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:02:30
102 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
103 Sandy Casar (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:02:31
104 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:02:32
105 José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:33
106 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
107 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:02:36
108 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Sharp 0:02:37
109 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
110 Imanol Erviti Ollo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:02:40
111 Gorka Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
112 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
113 Roy Curvers (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:02:42
114 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) RadioShack-Nissan 0:02:43
115 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:02:44
116 Jonathan Cantwell (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
117 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 0:02:45
118 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team
119 Baden Cooke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:02:46
120 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:02:47
121 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:02:50
122 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:51
123 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho (Por) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
124 Rémy Di Gregorio (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:54
125 Romain Zingle (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:02:55
126 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) FDJ-Big Mat 0:02:56
127 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:03:01
128 Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar 0:03:04
129 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
130 David Moncoutie (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:03:06
131 Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:09
132 Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Katusha Team
133 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
134 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:03:10
135 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:03:13
136 Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:03:17
137 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre - ISD 0:03:19
138 Jens Voigt (Ger) RadioShack-Nissan 0:03:20
139 Bert Grabsch (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:03:27
140 Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:03:39
141 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:03:41
142 Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:03:43
143 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:03:44
144 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:03:50
145 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Sharp 0:03:53
146 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:03:57
147 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:01
148 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:04:03
149 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:04
150 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin - Sharp 0:04:05
151 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Sharp 0:04:10
152 Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:04:12
153 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
154 Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:04:13
155 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:14
156 Tom Veelers (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:04:15
157 Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
158 Stephen Cummings (GBr) BMC Racing Team 0:04:19
159 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team 0:04:21
160 Richie Porte (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:04:23
161 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:04:25
162 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
163 Julien Fouchard (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
164 Alexandr Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:04:27
165 David Zabriskie (USA) Garmin - Sharp
166 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre - ISD 0:04:33
167 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:04:35
168 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team 0:04:38
169 Christian Knees (Ger) Sky Procycling 0:04:40
170 Juan Horrach Rippoll (Spa) Katusha Team 0:04:43
171 Yohann Gene (Fra) Team Europcar 0:04:45
172 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
173 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne 0:04:48
174 Martin Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:04:49
175 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank 0:04:59
176 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Lampre - ISD 0:05:06
177 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:17
178 Julien Simon (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:05:19
179 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling 0:05:22
180 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Movistar Team 0:05:33
181 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team 0:05:39
182 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 0:06:13
183 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:06:19
184 Albert Timmer (Ned) Argos-Shimano 0:06:25
185 Yuriy Krivtsov (Fra) Lampre - ISD 0:06:30
186 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:06:46
187 Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:07:45
188 Yann Huguet (Fra) Argos-Shimano 0:07:55
189 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:08:30
190 Blel Kadri (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:08:31
191 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:08:54
192 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:09:02
193 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:09:22
194 Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Argos-Shimano 0:09:25
195 Francis De Greef (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:09:36
196 Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:09:43
197 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Argos-Shimano 0:11:17
198 Brice Feillu (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:13:37

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