Stage 2 of the Tour du Maroc is the first one for the climbers. Last year it was S3 of the race and it was won by Caio Godoy. While the finish is only a short ramp there are plenty of mountains between here and there. Two each of Category 1, 2 and 3 over 157k. Also a single sprint point.
The GC favorites top the stage favorites list, today is their first chance to assert their superiority.
10k gone and the breakaway is on the first climb, which is 15.4k at 5.7% but the average is misleading as it is a mix of much flatter and steeper sections. The three leaders are on one of the steepest sections now which comes right at the beginning of the climb. The leaders are Manfredi, Destribois, and Budenieks they have 40 seconds over a group of 16 (more on them in a moment) and 2’53 on the peloton.
2.7k to climb the front three still holding on to 43 second over the chasers where Rowsell, Mestric and Vermaerke have been dropped. Peloton at 6’13.
The front three all have a go at an attack but it is Budenieks who gets it right to take the max points ahead of Manfredi.
The front three come back together but towards the top first Destribois and then Budenieks are dropped. Manfredi takes maximum points putting him two points behind the Budenieks in the virtual KOM. The rest of the breakaway has broken up completely, the closest group includes Arifin, Rohendi and Kipkemboi.
The view from the 4th group on the road which includes Squire, Fernandez, Fabbro and Bouchard. They trail the Rohendi group by 26 seconds, Destribois by 42 second and the two leaders by 1’20. The next group is 3’08 further back so they might be out of it. Although after the Cat 2 which the two leaders just started, there is a long flat stretch, so maybe more of the break comes back together. The peloton is 6’48 down with a handful of riders dropped. 128k to ride for the leaders.
Manfredi goes solo over the Cat 2, and takes the virtual KOM lead with 28 points, his former companions have been caught and dropped by the chasers.
The rest of the points go to Squire (8), Rohendi (6+8=14), Arifin (4+4=8) and Kipkemboi (2+6=8)
99k to go. Manfredi holding a lead of 1’02 over a group of 8 chasers which includes Squire, Rohendi, Arifin, Kipkemboi, Budenieks,Destribois, Fernandes and Fabbro. Peloton at 5’32 with Phillips on the front, 4 other breakaway survivors scattered in between. Manfredi has 24k of flat before the sprint point and then the next set of climbs.
Manfredi is caught by the chasers and Fernandez takes the bonus seconds at the sprint point ahead of Detribois. Peloton have used the flat to close to 2’32 with Project Africa, Bralirwa, Volcanica and Popo4ever all contributing in addition to Phillips.
Still 7.5k to the start of the second Cat 1 but both the break and peleton already dealing with gradrients of close to 10%. All the break caught except the front 9 who have a lead of 2’01, with Bralirwa doing most of the work. Khederi on the front at the moment.
As the break start the Cat 1 the peloton is just coming over the rise behind. The gap had got as close as a minute but is now back to two. The climb is a brutal 6.6k at an average of 12.1%. 59k left in the stage.
5k to climb, Budenieks and Kipkemboi are the first two dropped from the break. The peloton looks close but at these gradients that is 1’59. 86 riders left in the peloton.
Soon after a group of 20 favorites overwhelms most of the remaining break. Fabbro leads, still 1’15 ahead and Manfredi, Arifin, and Rohendi have 54 seconds. Key riders missing from the 20-rider GC group are Aular, Guldhammer, Rodrigues, Min, and Faglum Karlsson.
An 11-rider group containing all the dropped riders mentioned above is briefly able to bridge back up only to be dropped again, except for Guldhammer, who instead tears up the side of the road and launches the first attack.
There is no response to Guldhammer’s attack and with 1.4k to climb he has caught all the break except Fabbro, who is just ahead, and opened up a 2 minute lead on the favorites group.
1k to go for the favorites group which has swelled back to 43 riders including all those mentioned. Nobody willing to work so Guldhammer and Fabbro, who are now together, have a lead of 3’01.
Guldhammer takes maximum points to give him 16, Fabbro takes 12, neither had scored before. Manfredi took 4th and 8 points giving him 36 points and a 16 point lead over Rohendi and Budenieks, both on 20.
45k to ride for the GC group. Work from Habtemichael and Maesen have helped bring things under a control a little. They got it as close as 1’54 but now it is 2’26 to the two leaders. Arifin 1’45 ahead and Manfredi and Rohendi are 1’23 ahead.
35k to go, Guldhammer and Fabbro are on the last Cat 3. From here they have 4k to the top, then a sharp descent and the final Cat 2 before another descent and a few k of flat to the finishing ramp. Work from Assa Abloy and Kraftwerk have reduced their lead to 1’45 but Mas got inpatient and has attacked the GC group.
Mas quickly bridges up to Manfredi, Arifin and Rohendi. Then Sicard sets off after him from the the pack and Areruya, Aular, Arndt, Madrazo, and Elissonde all respond.
Sicard, Areruya, Arndt and Madrazo tear past the others and are quickly within 16 seconds of the two leaders.
They make the catch and with 1.5k to the top, Areruya launches the next attack. The next group with Padun, Novak, Penasa, and Elissonde trails these 6 by 33 seconds. Behind them Quintana, Monsalve and Mas are trying to bridge across.
By the top Areruya has an 8 second lead, from here he descends and then the Cat 2. There is another 41 seconds to the next group on the road where Quintana and Monsalve were able to bridge across. Mas is still trying to get across while Elissonde has been dropped. The next group on the road is being led by Pomoshnikov, and is 1’41 behind the leaders.
With the GC guys taking the KOM points Manfredi has secured the KOM jersey for tomorrow.
4k of steep roads to the top of the final climb and then 18k to the finish. Areruya has been brought back. The first chase group with Padun, Novak, Penasa, Quintana and Monsalve is at 32 seconds. Another 46 seconds back to a group with Elissonde, Mas, Pomoshnikov, Ranaweera and Pogacar.
2.8k to climb Sicard opens a gap with Areruya on his wheel, they have 38 seconds. Behind the Quintana group has caught the others. 57 seconds behind them the Mas group is about to be caught by 12 more riders.
20k banner, 1.5k to climb. Quintana is trying to bridge across, he is 33 seconds behind the leaders and 21 seconds ahead of the chasers where Penasa is doing the work. The Mas group has swelled to 16 but they are 1’42 behind the Penasa group.
At the top the lead is down to 25 seconds as Quintana is caught by Guldhammer, Penasa, Arndt, Monsalve and Madrazo. Novak, Fabbro and Padun have been dropped with the latter already over a minute down.
10k to go, the 6 chasers still 16 seconds down on the leaders. Next on the road is Novak another 50 seconds down.
5k banner and the catch is almost made. Novak now 1’08 down, so these 8 riders will contest the stage and take a big advanatage in the GC. They are: Madrazo, Quintana, Guldhammer, Monsalve, Sicard, Penasa, Arndt, and Areruya.
1.2k to go, they are on the final ramp to the finish, the gradients are steep until the last 200 meters when it flattens out.
600 meters, Monsalve has his nose in front.
300 meters, still Monsalve, Areruya has moved up. Behind Novak, Fabbro and Padun have been caught by 6 others, that 9 rider group is at 1’36.
200 meters, still Monsalve.
Areruya almost gets to him but Monsalve is able to start his celebration a few feet from the line. Arndt grabs 3rd.
4th to 8th go to: Penasa, Guldhammer, Madrazo, Sicard and Quintana. The Volcanica man rode well today but paid for his poor finishing skills. They all get the same time as the winner.
Mas, Berhane, and Pomoshnikov are the next three to finish, 1’37 later, and complete the top 10.
Monsalve also gets the GC lead. Areruya scored points on Stage 1 and gets the Green jersey as a result. Pogacar comes home with the group at 1’37 which is good enough to give him the White Jersey. Carlsberg are the team's jersey leaders.
Another sprint stage before the GC boys recommence hostilities on Stage 4.
Tour du Maroc 
