So, to Stage 3 and perhaps a chance for the GC men to do battle for the first time in a meaningful way?
As expected, a break gets away after some early jockeying for position. Once again, it's fairly big with 12 riders present. It seems these riders have their sights firmly set on stage victory as none of them bother to battle for the intermediate sprints.
Santambrogio (Gazzetta) - in the break again today - leads through the first one, and at the second it's Steensen who takes the points for B+O. All a bit meaningless however in the battle for the points jersey after Coppel's showing in the first two stages.
Here we are with 57k to go. The countryside is about to get hilly and the Dauphine proper about to begin. The gap back to the pack is just over 3 and a half minutes.
At the top of the first KOM sprint, Santambrogio manages to defend his jersey by taking 3rd in the sprint.
The pack are closing in though and Gazzetta, Wii, Rabobank and Wikipedia are collaborating at the front of the peloton.
Augustyn (White Bear) seems to think this is one break that won't make it and after taking 2nd at the first KOM point persists in his attack.
Here he is. There are just over 25k to go and he has a gap of 30 seconds back to the chasing eleven. The main bunch is 1'53" behind the eleven.
20k to go now, and the second group have managed to pull Augustyn back. With a long downhill run to the finish there is a good chance now they will make it all the way as the pack are still 1"53 back.
1k to the top of the final KOM point and the lead group are still working very well together. The pack are 1'30 back still. It all looks very good now for this group.
Attacking once again for the KOM points is Gautier. He gets them and has got himself the KOM jersey for one day at least. Coming under the banner, Festina man Vandborg is out of the saddle and making a move.
The pack have ridden up the final climb together. Some of the big names have tried to attack over the preceeding kilometers but the road has been up and down and what has mostly happened is that they've sat up on the downhills and been caught.
Gautier at first does not look like he's about to sit up here. He has a 15k long downhill now to the finish. Behind him chasing hard is Vandborg and also trying to jump from the pack is Santambrogio.
Gautier sits up and thinks better of trying to solo in for the victory. Santambrogio too, leaving it to Vandborg to go for the solo heroics.
10k to go and Vandborg has a gap of 48" to the chasing group of eleven. 53" behind them are the pack.
Under the 5k to go banner and Vandborg's lead to the second group has gone out to 57". It looks like he's on his way to a great stage victory.
The final 2 or 3k are flat. Vandborg shows no sign of easing up and as he goes under the 1k to go banner he still has over 30 seconds on the second group who are beginning to sprint.
Any chance Ten Dam or Santambrogio had of stage victory is gone as they touch wheels and go down.
At the front, Vandborg has plenty of time to celebrate victory. Delighted he might be with his win, but this could cost him the yellow jersey...
Ladagnous is strongest in the second group and he clinches second place and some valuable points for American Suzuki in their battle to avoid the drop.
The big question is what kind of time gaps will today see?
