Après la victoire de Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) sur la 1ʳᵉ étape, le peloton du Tour des Alpes avait rendez-vous ce mardi avec une seconde étape exigeante. Au programme : cinq ascensions, dont deux passages dans la montée d’Obertelfes/Telves di Sopra (4,2 km à 7,1 %). La victoire s’est jouée dans la dernière montée, où Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling) a fait la différence. L’Australien s’est imposé en solitaire avec plus de 40 secondes d’avance sur Paul Seixas (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) et Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL). L'Australien prend les commandes du général, devant Paul Seixas !
Crédit : @TourofTheAlps
« Le vélo, partout & toujours ici » sur
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Crédit : @TourofTheAlps
« Le vélo, partout & toujours ici » sur
https://www.cyclismactu.net / Cyclism'Actu
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SportTranscription
00:00And a fabulous line-up as the jerseys rolled out of Mazzola Lombardo this morning.
00:19Blue skies yet again, some clouds and a few little raindrops, but it didn't dampen any of the enthusiasm for what was in store.
00:28A whole load of climbs, including a circuit at the end of the day that would beguile.
00:33Well, we had a three-rider breakaway that filtered down once Emilia had been captured to Mihailovic and indeed Baumann.
00:44They were up the road. They had a decent margin. In fact, it was built up to around about four and a half minutes.
00:50The chase was kind of on. Then we got into a tunnel and this just showing how dangerous the day can be.
00:55Unfortunately, it accounted for Puccio from Ineos Grenadiers and a kind of a wake-up call, really, for everybody to be absolutely dead focused on what had been a slow day until this point.
01:05Well, things started to liven up. Little Drek wanted a piece of the day.
01:08Giulio Ciccone, of course, their chosen son, the leader overall in the green jersey.
01:13And it looked like it would be patterns for Mihailovic and indeed Cohen-Bahman, who were up the road, but not for much longer, surely.
01:23Trying to bridge over to them with 50 kilometres to go, Tarotzi decided to give it a shake of the stick for group Bardiani-Fiatzani.
01:30And that caused a little bit of a split in the pack.
01:33Others decided that if it was going to be a breakaway kind of day and it was a possibility, they'd very much like to be involved.
01:39None of the major players, you might think, but Team Picnic post-NL, who did much of the driving to close the gap throughout the day, they policed this one as well.
01:48Working, of course, for Roman Bardet, ultimately.
01:51So we're all together with 28 kilometres to go as we hit our circuit.
01:55Some emotions, if you like, coming to the fore, just wondering whether they'd all get through at the start of our circuit safely.
02:02They did so. And then, indeed, it was the two climbs that characterised the circuit, one on each of the loops that we had to deal with of just over 16 kilometres.
02:12First time of asking, it was getting very selective. All the jerseys were together.
02:17Red, of course, are the points jersey with Gal, who has a very good sprint on him.
02:21Likewise, Ciccone, as we saw yesterday.
02:24Few others wanted to play the game, but would they be allowed to? That was the big question.
02:28Little Trek offering up support to Ciccone with Gagan Hart earlier on.
02:35JP Lopez had also been there. Leonard Kamner also, indeed.
02:39Ciccone looking around, seeing what the make-up of this group was.
02:42Splits in the valley. Bahrain also thinking about having a dig with Damiano Caruso, fast man on the day.
02:48Sadly, Antonio Tiberi having to lead the race.
02:51Michael Stora, not a sprinter, didn't want the company of the select band of brothers he was in.
02:57That quartet was blown apart with 500 metres to go until the top of the climb.
03:02And then it was downhill and a grainy and gravelly run, indeed, to the line.
03:07Emotionally speaking, I am talking.
03:10Great roads we have been dealing with and a great, indeed, road to potential glory.
03:15As this man kicked off.
03:18Brilliant work by Michael Stora.
03:20Leaving behind those who are still trying to reassemble themselves behind.
03:23Roman Bardet, part of a group that included Jai Hindley, who's got a bit of a kick on him, as you well know.
03:29And Jefferson Gepeda as well.
03:31Hindley himself with 5 kilometres to go.
03:33A modest advantage of just 13 seconds.
03:35But when he gets himself into this kind of time-trialling mode, he can deliver absolutely spectacularly.
03:42And so it was that he drove for the line.
03:45Would he make it home?
03:45Well, the chase was not cohesive.
03:48I've got to say, neither or none of any of those out front.
03:53And it was a select group that was about to swell with the Bardet group now fracturing.
03:57And he was to bridge over.
03:59But they wouldn't lead each other in.
04:00And so, unfortunately, the gap hung for them, that is.
04:04Great news, of course, for Michael Stora, who is still out there.
04:08And all the jerseys were busy looking at each other.
04:10The red jersey and the white jersey here.
04:13Teammates from Decathlon, A.G. Tour, Le Mondial.
04:16And that left off the leash.
04:17Michael Stora to bring home a famous win.
04:20And by a handsome margin as well.
04:2241 seconds in the end because of a lack of cohesion in the chase.
04:26But, my goodness, that's a cushion that this man could sit on.
04:2910 bonus seconds at the line.
04:31Also going the way of the great Australian.
04:35He took the line, handsomely so.
04:38Didn't power over it.
04:39Didn't need to.
04:41Meanwhile, it was a sprint for second place.
04:43Bonus seconds still up for grabs, of course.
04:45That had to be taken extraordinarily seriously.
04:48And it was.
04:50At the line, Seixas just edging Baudet for the last of the bonuses.
04:54Chikourney well placed.
04:55Holds on to the points jersey.
04:57But, really, this story today was all about tactics and fortitude.
05:01Bags full of that with Michael Stora.
05:04He brought it home absolutely superbly.
05:07He wears the green jersey with amazing pride.
05:12I'm proud of him as well.
05:13That was super to watch.
05:15And the racing, of course, will be going on with him in the green jersey.
05:18Here it is.
05:19Stora leads by 41 seconds over Seixas.
05:20Chikourney on the same time as Seixas at a 41-second margin.
05:25Felix Gall, a further four seconds in arrears.
05:27Roman Bardet with a good finish today.
05:29Also in the frame, we race on with Stage 3 tomorrow here in the Alps.
05:35Chikourney on the same time as Seixas.