Buongiorno and welco🦩me to our live coverage from stage 2 of the 2018 Giro d'Italia. After Friday's time trial today is the first road race stage.
The minutes are ticking down to the start of stage 2. The sun is out in Haifa, with the sprinters ready to win the sprint in𒉰 Tel Aviv.
After 🅺Friday's time trial, the overall classification already has an interesting shape with stage winner Tom Dumoulin in theꦺ leader's pink jersey.
The riders areꦰ a little worried about possible cross winds and echelons a♍long the coast road to Tel Aviv.
From the Cyclingnews blimp we can s🐭ee the riders roll out of Haifa for the neutralised start.
Hai꧂fa is third largest city in Israel. The riders cover a loop north before turning south and along the coast to Tel Aviv.
Chris Froome lost 37 seconds to Dumoulin in the TT after his recon🦹 cℱrash. However he was smiling at the start today.
Froome rolled out of the start at the back of the peloton but is moving🌃 up to join his Team Sky teammates.
Tom Dum𒉰oulin lined up at the front in the pink jersey. As 🔯2017 winner, he also wears number 1.
Froome has moved up to the front and is sat safe꧑ly on teammate Christian Knees' wheel.
First flat of the day for Matteo Montaguti. He is quickly aw💫🐼ay.
Due ꧋to the logistics of the start in Israel, teams don't have t♔eam buses and so got changed in the open.
The riders face 11.9km neut🃏ralised before the official stage start. That means they face 178.9km in the saddle.
Here we go!
Technical race director Stefano Allocchio drops the flag from the race 🌱director's car and the race is on/
The p🐽eloton is immediately lined out, the speed is up.
Lots of riders are trying to get away but Quick-Step Floors riders and Team Sun༒web riders a꧑re marking the moves.
Davide Ballerini of Androni is off the front alone, trying to open a gap.&🐓nbsp;
The peloton seems to have eased and spread across the road. This could 🤪be the early break of the day.
The other two riders are from Lotto Soudal 💙and Israel.
160km remaining from 167km
Gruppo compatto but Ballerini tries again.
Ballerini 🤡is joined by Lars Bak of Soudal, witಌh Niv trying to join them.
There is an intermediate sprint with points and time bonuses on offer after just 22꧋km.
The peloton is spread across the road. Niv is struggling to go across to Ballerin💎i and Bak after his earlier effort.
150km remaining from 167km
The race in Acres for the inte𒅌rmediate sprint. they will then turn east and then south towards Tel Avi🐓v.
During today𝓰's stage, 13 time bonus seconds are up for grꦯabs in the individual overall classification. A maximum of 90 points are available for the points classification and the first 3 points for the King of the Mountains competition.
The peloton seems ready to leave the two out front until after the sprint. We coul꧂d then see a change in the break and tꦚhe chase.
Sagiv of Israel Cycling Academy flats and ge🐈ts a new rear wheel.
144km remaining from 167km
The peloton is riding carefully, helping the break extend its ga✅p slightly.
Crash!
A touch of wheels on narrow roads sparks a 💯crash in 𝓡the peloton.
Nobody is hurt or slowed very much, with all the 🐈riders eventu🌠ally getting going.
Here comes the intermediate sprint.
Ballerini surges slightly after speaking to Bak and so crosses the line first at the intermediatꦫ♏e sprint.
ꦉThere's a real sp💛rint behind, as they fight for the points.
Viviani takes 🐟it, scoring 8 points in the battle for the ciclamino jersey.
Here comes Guillaume Boiv🌌in. He joins Ballerini and Bꦇak.
Boivin breathes deep but ta🔯kes a turn on the front.
135km remaining from 167km
Victor Campenaerts🍒 is on the move. He's trying to join the break and Soudal teammate Bak.
The Euro TT champion is only 2 seconds b🦂ehind Dumoulin and so coul꧃d take he pink jersey if he takes the bonuses at the second intermediate sprint.
However BMC for Dennis and S𝓡unweb for Dumoulin are chasing.
128km remaining from 167km
Sunweb have four riders on t🧔he front protecting Dumoulin♏'s pink jersey.
Other teams and their leaders are al🧜so moving up in case the wind blows.
Team Sky has gathe🌼red together to protect Froome.&n🦄bsp;
Dumoulin stops for a natural break and 🍌so the peloton eases, respecting the unwritten rules of the peloton.
125km remaining from 167km
Campenaerts appears to haveꦯ eased up and been ⛄caught by the peloton.
121km remaining from 167km
Viviani does some multi-t🌞askin🌼g: He takes a natural break as a mechanic changes a wheel after a flat.
115km remaining from 167km
This is the first image of the break of the day.
Bജak is wearing the new grey Lotto col♏ours chosen for the Giro.
110km remaining from 167km
108km remaining from 167km
Quick-Step and Wilꦗier ♚have also placed a rider on the front to help with the chase.
103km remaining from 167km
BMC has a rideꦰr helping with the work on the front. They want to perhaps protect Dennis' second place in the hope 🔯he takes pink in the next few stages.
100km remaining from 167km
There was 👍lots of interest in Chris Froome at the start after his crash a๊nd time loss on Friday.
Dumoulin rolled to the start in pink, with matching sunglas🧜ses, helmet and pink touches on his shorts.
Dumoulin raced the TT in his world ⛄champion's ra🐼inbow jersey.
93km remaining from 167km
The ♓riders are heading into the southwest cross/head wind and so the riders are pacing their effort.
BMC have hit the front🎶 of the peloton and upped the pace. The gap is down to 1:20.
The BMC speed has lined out the pelot🌠on but the tr🦂ip up front are just hoping to stay away until the only climb of the day and the second intermediate sprint.
BMC seem determined to chase down the break.
Ever🅺yone else in the peloton is fighting for the best wheels behind BMC as they ride into a headwind and near𓆏 the only 4 cat climb of the day.
The peloton passes through the feed zone, grabbing their༺ m🌞usette.
81km remaining from 167km
80km remaining from 167km
Crash!
On the left turn o💛ff the highway, two riders go down in the squeeze.
The break is on the climb.
First to the top gets the blue mountains jersey.
The peloton is close to catching them.
The trio kee༒p attacking each other and are joined by a Bardiani ride.
Sadly there are some cra👍zy fans running in the road with the break.
The Bardiani rider is freshꦅer and gets 🐼a gap on Boivin.
The peloton isও just bꦡehind them at the summit.
Enrico Barbin of Bardiani was the first to the suꦗmmit and so will pull on the blue clim﷽ber's jersey at the finish in Tel Aviv.
75km remaining from 167km
M꧃itch Docker of EF has bike problem and stops on thꦜe fast descent to the coast.
We will soon find out exactly how fast the coastal wind will blo🐻w.
71km remaining from 167km
This is how crazy and how dangerous the crowds were 💮on the climb. Despite the personal on the climb to control the crowds, lots of people 🃏tried to run with the riders.
The speed is high in the race as the second intermediate sprint 𒐪nears.
BMC are trying to lead out Dennis so he can win it an🍌d so take the pink jersey.
Viviani and Quick-Step are tucked in behind BMC.
63km remaining from 167km
Watch out for Victor Campenaerts of Lotto.
Here we go. BMC up the speed even more.
Dennis kicks hard and early. He holds off Viviani𒐪.
Dennis is now virtual race leader now.
Tom Dumoulin had hinted he and Team Sunweb would not defend the race lead but 🍌few ex🐭pected Dennis to take pink today.
However BMC chased down the early break, lead out Dennis and🌼 then the Australian produced a good sprint.
Dennis is congratulated by teammate Nicolas Roche. Now he has to finish with the sprinters and the peloꩵton to take the pink jersey from Dumoulin.
56km remaining from 167km
The peloton is being amused by two rider🌄s dressed in pink body suits, riding a tandem.&nbs🍌p;
This is the screen grab of the pink tandem duo that road on the other side of the highway, alongsid꧑e the peloton.
🦩In the virtual Gc, Dennis now leads Dumoulin by 1 second, w🍬ith Campenaerts third at 3 seconds.
If Dennis pulls on the pink, he'll have worn the leader's jersey in each of three Grand Tours.&n🎃bsp;
47km remaining from 167km
ꦿBora is working for Sam Bennett's chances in th𓂃e sprint.
Fabio Aru's UAE team is close to the front as the cross wind lines out the peloton an๊ꦏd pushes it across to the rider's left side of the road.
The wind is definitely a cro♔ss/head wind from the left, from the seafront.
Boivin is trying punch his way into 🅰the headwind but the peloton is keeping him at 50 seconds.
36km remaining from 167km
33km remaining from 167km
30km remaining from 167km
27km remaining from 167km
23km remaining from 167km
The surf is up near🃏 Tel Aviv,🌳 confirming there is a sea breeze. But it is not enough to split the peloton.
20km remaining from 167km
Elia Viviani and his Quick-S💯tep Floors is expected to dominate the lead out but the Italian faces some serious competition from Sam Bennett (Bora), Jakub Mareczko (Wilier Triestina), Andrea Guardini (Bardiani), Ryan Gibbons (Dimension🥀 Data), Sacha Modolo (EF), Danny van Poppel (LottoNL) and Jens Debusschere (Lotto).
We can expect Quick-Step to take control 🐠and try to lead out the sprint but other teams will try to ambush them in the final with micro-trains o💟f 2/3 riders.
The final 5km includes 5 tight city-centre corners, including the final right turn wit♛h less than a kilometre to go.
Boivin has been swept up as Sky keep the p🌳ace high to protect Froome.
10km remaining from 167km
Riders are only givꦛen the same time as th⭕e stage winner if they crash in the final 3km.
The teams are fighting for position to protect their t𒐪eam leaders and to lead out their sprinters.
7km remaining from 167km
LottoNL hit the front for🌺 van Poppel. No sign of Quick-Step yet.
Tony Martin leads💮 for✨ Katusha but they lack a likely stage winner.
Mechanical problem for Poels. He could lo🏅se time today.
5km remaining from 167km
3km remaining from 167km
A tight right turn lines out the peloton.
The sprint teams are hesitating.
1km remaining from 167km
Here comes Quick-Step for Viviani.
Stybar leads it into the final km.
They swing left into the finishing 600m.
EF lead it out.
Mareczko leads it out early but Vi☂viani comes on the barriers!
Viviani wins the sprint!
Viviani seemed𓆉 stuck behind after losing his lead out but he had the speed and skill to find a way through and past his rivals to win by several bike lengths.
Viviani was smart enough to jump on Mareczko's💖 wheel as he came through and got a great lead out. He then opened up his after burners and won it well.
Viviani beat Jakub Mareczko 🔥and Sam Bennett.
Rohan Dennis is confirmed as the new race𒉰 ♑leader after he took three seconds at the second intermediate sprint.
Watching the replays of the sprint r🌱eveal just how smar🐠t and collected Viviani was. His track skills made a difference today.
This is the top ten on the stage:
This is the new GC:
Viviani dedicated his win ജto his partner Elena Cecchini.
"This win is for Elena, 🧔she really believed in me when we talked last night and so this win is for her," Viviani said.
Vivianꦓi gets the cheers on the podium and then opens the prosecco in celebration.
Speaking briefly before pulling on the pink jersey, Rohan Dennis admitted that he was happy Vivܫiani won the stage after he didn't sprint full gas in the intermediate sprint that gave Dennis pink.
Dennis pulls on the pink jersey on the podi✅um and also cel𝕴ebrates.
Viv🌊iani returns to the podium to take the ciclamino points jersey. He is with one of Michele Scarponi's young sons, who were invited to the Giro. ♏;
Dennis revealed on Italian television that he didn’t want the pressure of sprinting for the bonus seconds but didn’t want to let his teammates down.
We have the first photos of the𝓀 sprint finish and Viviani's celebrations.
Rohan Dennis sa🔥id he was hon🎉oured to be in pink and complete his collection of Grand Tour leader's jerseys. But he kept his feet on the ground.
Dennis thaꦫnks his BMC teammates and Viviani for not going🌜 full gas in the sprint.
Viviani was relievedඣ to win after huge expectations on his shoulders.
Viviani said:
Viviani talk through the spr🅘int as only a rider who was in the thick of it an.&n🌌bsp;
Here's the first photo of Rohan Dennis in pink via RCS Sp💖ort.
Dennis understandably♔ had a big smile on the podiu🤡m.
This🉐 is the sprint from another an🧸gle, showing how Viviani won it well.
To see other great photos from the stage, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:click here to r꧟ead out full stage report and see our huge photo gallery.
The overall classification changed t𝔉oday with Rohan Dennis taking pink from Tom Dumoulin. However all the other GC contenders finished safely in the peloton.
Froome spoke briefly before the stage start. 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:click here to read our story.
Sunday’s 229km third stage isไ from Be’er Sheva to Eliat south through th⛄e Israel desert.
-
Tour de France stage 16 LIVE - Julian Alaphilippe is on the attack but can anyone stop Tadej Pogačar on Mont Ventoux?
The fearsome and historic ascent of the Mont Ventoux provides a mountainous GC challenge for Pogačar and Vingegaard -
Soudal-QuickStep continue to pursue Classics riders in transfer market – another sign of early departure for Remco Evenepoel?
Dylan van Baarle the latest rider expected to join Belgian squad after confirming he would leave Visma-Lease a Bike -
Tour de France tech gallery: Four new bikes, $1,700 hubs, brand new wheels, and a $1,400 saddle
Plus the usual tech hacks and strange setups from the uphill time trial
-
The three key stages set to decide the battle for yellow at the Tour de France Femmes 2025
The fourth edition of the rebooted race has a course that should keep the tension high in the overall battle until the very end -
Best water bottles for cycling 2025: Stay hydrated on the go
Keep hydrated for peak performance with one of the best water bottles for cycling -
This free indoor cycling app is challenging the leaders, and you can use it to ride with Cyclingnews this Wednesday
No subscription, no monthly payment, just a fun ride with fellow Cyclingnews readers and staff
-
Watch Tour de France stage 16 online: All the broadcasters and streams for the Mont Ventoux showdown
The third week begins with an ascent of one of the Tour's legendary mountains -
Mathieu van der Poel out of Tour de France after pneumonia diagnosis
'Mathieu will be required to rest for at least one full week' says Alpecin-Deceuninck -
American Criterium Cup: Sofia Arreola and Luke Fetzer use late solo attacks to win Boise Twilight elite races
German Maurice Ballerstedt moves into overall ACC lead with slim margin over Brody McDonald, Danny Summerhill and Lucas Bourgoyne
