Stage two is shorter than yesterday, 150 kilometer from Devonport to Penguin (containing an actual statue of a penguin), but with more climbing. The climbers and puncheurs want to gain their time today before tomorrow's time trial will decide the general classification.
King of the Mountains so far, Eiking, is the first rider to attack today. Following him for now are Preidler, Lastra and Kneisky, but more will surely follow.
Slight confusion at the first intermediate sprint in Forth as the banner does not match the actual location, the order is given as Eiking - Kneisky - Lastra. The expected backup did not come, only Olei attempted but he was caught before he even got anywhere close.
No points for Eiking at the Lower Barrington climb of the fourth category, Preidler wins ahead of Lastra and Kneisky. The gap to the peloton is currently three minutes, meaning Eiking is the virtual GC leader. He has been that ever since he attacked, as he was only eight seconds behind Coquard.
The intermediate sprint in Sheffield is drawn correctly, Kneisky winning in front of Eiking and Preidler. Their lead stays at three minutes with 100 kilometer to go, suggesting this is the maximum gap the peloton is willing to give Eiking and company.
Tinkoff, Aker, Festina, Popo4Ever, Farfetch, SPAR and Isostar are the teams doing the chasing today. They are the teams who think they have the stage winner in their squad, which for most of these teams is a climber instead of a puncheur.
Aside from the usual suspects, there is a surprising rider losing contact on Bell Mount: Yates. He is a puncheur rather than a climber, and might be foreshadowing for more riders of the same type. Amongst him are pure time trialists without climbing ability, so they drop today in order to focus on the stage tomorrow.
Preidler far and away the strongest amongst the break, ten points on this category two climb for a total of 15. Eiking takes second place and eight points to stay virtual leader with 18. Six points for Lastra and four for Kneisky who really struggled to keep up with the others.
Two minutes later, the peloton crosses the top with Laas taking the final two points as lead chaser. The size of the group as measured at the top is 144, Yates more than three minutes behind already. GC's number two Van Avermaet has also been dropped, but Coquard is still in the peloton though pretty much near the back.
A climb later, the yellow jersey also says goodbye and the peloton is reduced to about 100. Van Stayen is also in this group as well as one of the best puncheurs in the field: Sagan. The highest ranked rider remaining in the peloton is Reimer (12th), but Eiking is still the virtual leader from the break.
Preidler is the only rider from the break to survive the ascent of Wilmot, with the other three caught by the peloton less than a minute behind. With the five points he takes here he passes Eiking for the virtual polka dots. Prevar and Lecuisinier lead the peloton for the remaining points. Group Coquard/Sagan at 1'30 still in sight, with for some reason Rabottini and Cataldo dropping back to help the struggling leader. Yates at eight minutes and out of the picture.
Coquard and Sagan are back on the category three Upper Castra climb five kilometer later, but the difference between the two is staggering. Sagan immediately makes up a lot of places, but Coquard hangs at the back and is in danger of dropping again. Preidler still led at the top with only 35 seconds.
Bettiol and Gidich leading at the top as the peloton breaks again with only 55 riders remaining in the front group, Sagan hadn't moved up enough and is forced to chase again. He has company in Eiking, Cataford, Moazemi and Anuar Aziz. Fifty kilometer to the finish line.
Preidler is finally caught with 40 kilometer to go. The first chasing group containing riders like Boom, Rosskopf, Benoot, Bevin and Würtz. at 1'30, Sagan and Cataford at 2'30 in the next group.
The first of two ascents of Gunns Plains, now with 25 kilometer to go and for the second time just before the finish. Koretzky is dropped from the lead group in another setback for Festina, but they still have Lecuisinier who was helping out in the chase earlier. Isostar, Aker and Popo4Ever are the foremost teams setting the pace as they have most riders left.
There is no battle for the mountain points on this climb of the second category, the points go to Augustyn, Taaramäe, Kangert, Kritskiy and Novak. As the second ascend is uncategorized, the mountains classification is now final provided all actors make the time limit. Koretzky already at 2'30, group Sagan/Cataford merged with group Boom at 3'30, and Coquard at 4'30.
A small moment of inattentiveness reduces the group to 36, with 15 riders at a gap of 20 seconds. Amongst these riders are Ponzi, Hagen and Van Garderen. Even further back are Gastauer and McCarthy, already a minute behind in such short time. The stage is definitely more suited to the climbers.
10 kilometer to go, the peloton turns onto Gunns Plains again. The lead pack contains 40 riders, with the trio of Hagen, Ponzi and Van Garderen returning on the descent. A full overview grouped by team: Keinath, Olivier, Zardini Hagen Aasvold, Taaramäe, Tvetcov Bobridge, Canty, Dennis, Dyball, Lane Ponzi Cattaneo Lecuisinier Bibby, Kangert, Konrad Kung, Oliveira, Teuns Laengen, Wisniowski Augustyn, Keizer, Mohoric, Spilak Prado, Schlegel Pluchkin Vasyliv Novak Brändle, Gidich, Lutsenko Kritskiy Buchmann, Van Garderen Goos, Wirtgen
The next group, containing Preidler, Prevar, Boswell, Brown, Paillot and Padun, at nearly two minutes, Gastauer/McCarthy at three minutes, Sagan/Cataford/Koretzky at four minutes.
Spilak leads the group onto the climb, seven kilometer remaining to the finish line and four to the top of the climb. Given how the previous ascent went, we expect the climbers to drop the puncheurs, Ponzi and Hagen as example at the tail end of the group. Aasvold and Tvetcov in second and third position behind Spilak as helpers for Taaramäe who himself hides behind Kritskiy.
The Slovenian decides this isn't fast enough and attacks. Tvetcov and Konrad continue to lead the group, no other favorite responds to this move. On the other end, Mohoric has dropped, confirming the role division in the Isostar team.
Spilak reaches the top of the climb, without points, just behind Vlatos who is the last rider in the race and still has a lap to go. Kritskiy led the group in the final kilometer and has brought them nearly to his wheel. Almost the entire group managed to keep up with this pace, as only Tvetcov, Kung, Zardini, Aasvold and Augustyn have lost contact. We have a small descent to Penguin, where we will see a sprint of climbers.
Spilak is caught with 2.5 to go, the lead Tinkoff is backmarker Yatsevich. Another minor split occurred, which reduced front group to 20: Spilak Ponzi Hagen Taaramäe Lecuisinier Kritskiy Kangert Pluchkin Bibby Buchmann Keizer Novak Lane Goos Keinath Bobridge Cattaneo Dennis Van Garderen Laengen
The trio of Ponzi, Hagen and Van Garderen have learned from their mistake on the previous ascent. The puncheurs who survived the climb are now favorites for the stage as they are, generally speaking, better in a sprint, though after a hard stage tiredness will also play a role.
Taaramäe launches the sprint into the final kilometer with Spilak on his wheel. Kritskiy, Lecuisinier, Pluchkin, Ponzi, Hagen and Kangert are the other contenders at the front of the group right now.
The duo still leads with 500 meters but Spilak seems unable to get out of the Estonian's wheel. Ponzi comfortably leading the sprint for third and might be able to pass them both as he has more speed.
This is indeed the case, Simone Ponzi wins the stage, leads the GC, and receives a stuffed penguin as present. He had a weak moment on the first ascent, but the puncheur survived the second time and moved forward just in time!
Taaramäe second and Spilak third, both picking up important bonus seconds in the GC fight as the Italian, under normal circumstances, should not be able to hang on to his lead in the time trial. Taaramäe is now the favorite for the overall victory.
Hagen fourth ahead of Lecuisinier and Kangert. Bobridge the best Australian in seventh and still with a shot of his fifth consecutive podium, though the elusive win will be difficult to get. The stage top ten is completed by Van Garderen, Goos and Kritskiy. The other riders finishing in the same time as Ponzi, and hence at twenty seconds in the GC though the exact order differs, are Keinath, Buchmann, Pluchkin, Novak and Bibby.
A gap occurred in front of Cattaneo, losing him 17 seconds together with Laengen, Dennis and Lane. Keizer finishes twentieth at 28 seconds.
Teuns best of the rest, 21st at 50 seconds with Vasyliv, Wirtgen and Brändle. Lutsenko, Oliveira, Schlegel, Dyball, Canty, Olivier and Prado finish at 1'09. Beyond them, the next finisher in 32nd is Wisniowski at more than two minutes, which takes him and everyone who finished behind him out of contention for a high GC classification, given the gaps and also the quality in the front group.
Vlatos and Yatsevich make time limit with 3 minutes to spare, meaning every rider who started the stage has also finished.
The points classification is also led by Ponzi, but since he cannot wear both yellow and green the latter will be worn by Coquard. Preidler has won the mountains classification with no more sprints on tomorrow's time trial, by eight points over Eiking and sixteen over the duo of Van Avermaet and Augustyn. Wirtgen is now the best young rider by nineteen seconds over Schlegel and 1'38 over Gidich. The teams classification is conquered by Bennelong with a two-minute lead over Gazelle, which they are unlikely to give away in the time trial.
