Stage 2 brings us our first journey into the hills. Only 153 km, so not too long, but the latter stages will be difficult. 3 mid-race KOM points - a 3rd cat and two 4ths, and then another up to the finish.
6 riders attack to make up the breakaway of the day:
Kosic Krizek Kanerva Dowsett Duchesne Wallays
Pretty strong breakaway for the first day, including some very solid puncheurs. Krizek the biggest GC threat after the TTT, 44 seconds behind.
Despite there being no leader yet for the point's competition, the riders just roll through. Kanerva, Duchesne, Wallays is the order.
A variety of teams setting a moderate pace throughout the day. Evonik currently on the front. 3'30'' is where the maximum gap has stabilized.
The breakaway riders do go for the the first 3rd cat KOM. Krizek takes it pretty commandingly, followed by Duchesne and Kanerva.
The surge manages to crack Kosic, who dangles behind for a while, but seems unable to get back on. Meanwhile, their gap begins to drop.
There are a few uncategorized bumps before the next climb, and we already see our first major attack at 29 km to go. It's Jensen trying to get a gap. He lost a lot of time in the TTT, but still plenty of road left to make it up.
His attempt goes nowhere, but it has succeeded in thinning down the group and stretching out the remaining riders. 69 guys remain, some small gaps between them. Kratochvila is the biggest name behind.
The attack also ate considerably into the breakaway's gap. With still 3 climbs left, they're almost back.
Lutsenko has his team on the front as we hit the slopes of the next cat 4.
And a combined effort brings the breakaway back into the fold. No attacks here, Kuboki is simply grinding to lead the peloton up the steep pitches.
He takes the Cat. 4 KOM for his efforts. Lopez and Lutsenko follow closely behind, attentive for any movement. Nothing big though. Amador is the biggest name falling off now. His team took a gamble bringing him here, and it is not going to pay off.
There's a plateau and a bump before the descent and, and just as we hit that small lip, Lopez attacks, hoping to capitalize on his team's earlier work!
He's managed to get a gap, albeit pulling others with him as we start the descent. Bobridge and Kinoshita have made the bridge and formed a 3 man group. Lutsenko has reacted, but a bit late, and is towing Di Maggio in no man's land.
Surprisingly, it's Generali doing the chase work behind, despite lacking a strong pure puncheur to go for.
Some important names are already slipping off the back now. While the groups are still fluid and the gaps are small, Gautier, Meurisse, and Siskevicius are dangling at the back. Gidich and Jensen are definitively in the next group on the road.
The two chasers are absorbed back into the peloton as we turn onto the penultimate climb of the day, 7 km left. Still about a 20 second gap to the 3 leaders.
Lutsenko stays on the front and almost instantly bridges up, staying in the saddle. Kinoshita immediately counters and has a bike length!
It's a mad scramble to get onto the Rakuten rider's wheel. Real gaps are opening now on the groups behind as the best make a selection. It's Bobridge trying to counter.
The favorites cross the top stretched in a long line. Bobridge takes the 5 points, still accelerating, with just over 5 km to go. Kinoshita and Lutsenko next.
At the very last moment of the surge, Lopez sits up and asks the others to come around! This means the 3 in front of him now have a small gap, which will we see in a minute.
Right now, major selection is being made. Coppel is the big name just now letting go. He's a huge GC threat if he can limit his losses, so this is a big moment.
At the front, Bobridge is not waiting for the time trial. He's descending like a mad man, out of the saddle and thrashing about. The other two are just trying to hang on.
Lopez is much more calm, getting in an aero tuck as the gap explodes to over 20 seconds.
He hits the bottom and now engages a short flat section before the final climb. 3 km to go. Bobridge is in front with Kinoshita and Lutsenko desperately trying to stay in his slipstream.
What's left of the peloton is 25 seconds behind him:
Lopez Izagirre Di Maggio Fraile Selander Gesink Oliveira Goncalves
Some very surprising names here. Several of the stronger, more stage racer oriented time trialists have managed to make the selection, along with the best puncheurs not named as being dropped/breakaway guys earlier.
A second chase group is a further 30 seconds behind, and contains more time trialists, hybrids, and even normal domestiques.
Some of these guys are decently suited to this type of terrain. Some, not so much. Fiedler must be having the day of his life to still be in contention, along with his teammate. He's blown his main TT competitors, such as Zmorka, our of the water.
What's certain is that today will be very significant for GC. Those who were dropped as the pack split and are further behind are seeing their GC hopes fall away quickly.
Bottom of the final hills, and the 3 out front still have about 25 seconds, but there are very steep percentages ahead. Bobridge kicks again!
It's an enormous amount of power around the hairpin and Lutsenko can't follow. He slouches back into his saddle as the other two push on! 17% gradients!
Behind, Gesink has now hit the front, managing to crack Di Maggio quite quickly.
400 meters to go and Kinoshita has had enough. He sits down and his shoulders rock as Bobridge continues to stay out of the saddle and power up the inside line. It's about to flatten out, so this might be it!
Gesink is managing this incline very well behind. Selander has finally popped as the group swings to the left of a defeated Lutsenko.
But as the sprint for minor placings begins behind, Jack Bobridge takes an impressive victory on stage 2! He begins to race his hands in the air before thinking better of it and fighting for every second on the line.
Kinoshita comes home 11 seconds behind. A great ride, but he just didn't have that final gear that the Aussie did. He picks up a 12 second bonus too.
Meanwhile, Gesink is really putting the hurt on now. Goncalves has disappeared, and the others are struggling to stay with him.
Gesink rounds out the podium to take the final time bonus, +30 seconds from Bobridge. Lutsenko gathers a second wind to hang onto 4th. Lopez in 5th, followed by an impressive Oliveira and Izagirre, all on the same time.
Fraile and Goncalves next in at 49'' and 1'10'' respectively.
Chad Haga with a strong final climb to round out the top ten at 1'40''. Then Gidich with an insane recovery after being dropped very early, and Selander, who stayed at the front longer than expected, but cracks quite hard.
Meurisse next in with Palyi and Brändle at 2'28''.
Finally, a large group has coalesced and is led home by Ludvigsson at 3'03'', containing most of the remaining puncheurs, along with those who were caugth from the chase groups, such as Fiedler. He still outperforms most of his pure TT specialist rivals, who are in subsequent groups.
In general, the puncheurs here made their mark on the race and made cases for GC ambitions. That is, except for Jensen, who after an early attack must have cramped up and totally lost it. He finishes his abysmal day almost 5 minutes back, losing all GC chances.
That means Bobridge is now your race leader, and with a significant gap on those behind. Gesink (+36), Lutsenko (+52), and Oliveira (+54) are the only guys within a minute and a half, as the TTT differences are still quite relevant.
Spoiler
Sorry for not keeping up with all the potential TT GC guys behind. Just getting back into reporting and was not as thorough as I probably should have been.
