On his first participation to the Tour de France, Fabio Jakobsen claimed the 50th stage victory of Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl since 2001. Second on the line in the bunch gallop following the big show on the Great Belt bridge, Wout van Aert took the yellow jersey for the first time in his career.
FOUR RIDERS IN THE LEAD
176 took the start of stage 2 in Roskilde at 12.39. Denmark’s Magnus Cort (EF Education-Easypost) was the first attacker of the day. Sven Erik Bystrom (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), Cyril Barthe and Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM) joined him at the front with the consent of the peloton. Their maximum advantage as a quartet was recorded at km12: 2’15’’, before Danish riders from sprinters’ teams seized the reins of the peloton: Mikkel Honoré for Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl, Chris Juul-Jensen for Team BikeExchange-Jayco and Andreas Kron for Lotto-Soudal.
CORT BEATS BYSTROM FOR THE POLKA DOT JERSEY
Rolland tried to anticipate the sprint for the first KOM of the Tour located at km 62 but the Frenchman didn’t manage to go clear and Cort logically won the sprint against Bystrom at Asnaes Indelukke (km 62). Up the hill, the two riders from B&B Hotels-KTM lost contact with the two Scandinavians. Once Cort and Bystrom became a leading duo, the gap to the peloton increased to three minutes whereas Rolland and Barthe failed to come across. Cort fought hard to beat Bystrom again at Hove Straede (km 72.5). It was much easier at Karup Strandbakke (km 84), so the Dane raised his hands up in the air as if he had won a stage. All three KOM were classified in fourth category so the EF Education-EasyPost rider totalled three points to take the polka dot jersey ten years after his compatriot Michael Morkov.
LAMPAERT CRASHES, COMES BACK BUT LOSES THE LEAD TO VAN AERT
At half way into stage 2, after Rolland and Barthe were brought back at km 96, the peloton was timed 3’ behind Cort and Bystrom. 60km before the end, Bystrom sped up to remain alone at the front with 1’ lead while the peloton swallowed Cort. The Norwegian was eventually brought back with 31km remaining and was voted most aggressive rider of the day. Wearing the Maillot Jaune, Yves Lampaert crashed on the Great Belt Bridge but made it back in the pack 16km before the end. It took a bit longer to Rigoberto Uran but everyone was together at the 3km to go mark. Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl led the run in but many other teams were involved in the sprint. Jakobsen proved to be the fastest as he pipped van Aert on the line but coming second was enough for the Belgian to take the Maillot Jaune for the first time ever.
Fabio Jakobsen: "Thank you Denmark for the warm welcome"
“Today it’s “incroyable”, as we would say in French. It’s been a long process step by step [to come back after his life-threatening crash in 2020], a lot of people have helped me come back so this victory is here to pay them back. I’m happy I still enjoy racing and I can win [after what happened]. The team kept me in good position in front at the end of the bridge. Michael Morkov dropped me wheel in the wheel of Wout van Aert. Then I was next to Peter Sagan. We touched each other but luckily we stayed up right and I could pass the other two rivals. I’m happy to win. My legs were in pain, but this is what we train for. For 15 years I’ve been dreaming of this and I want to say a big thanks to Denmark for the warm welcome and the encouragements.”
