June 29, 2024
The Tour continues it is keep in Italy with a punchy finale into Bologna
Date: Sunday June 30, 2024
Distance: 199km
Begin location: Cesenatico
End location: Bologna
Begin time: 12:15 CET
End time (approx): 17:06 CET
Memorials to Marco Pantani stay a typical function of the Giro d’Italia, the place nearly yearly there may be a minimum of one stage that honours his reminiscence. Now, as stage two departs from his hometown of Cesenatico, it’s an opportunity for the Tour de France to mirror upon his complicated legacy.
Il Pirata is in fact a beloved determine in his residence nation for his gorgeous exploits within the mountains, as mirrored within the placing statue of him that proudly overlooks the Adriatic coast on the outskirts of Cesenatico, regardless of the doping scandal that overshadowed his profession. Previous to the constructive take a look at that pressured him to depart the 1999 Giro d’Italia and miss the next Tour de France, he’d already left his indelible mark on the Tour. He’s turn into synonymous with the race’s most well-known climb, Alpe d’Huez, which he gained two levels on, and to today, holds the report for the quickest ever ascent, but additionally launched well-known victorious assaults on two of the most important mountains on this 12 months’s route, Plateau de Beille and Col du Galibier, on his strategy to total victory in 1998. If that was the excessive of his Tour de France profession, his return in 2000 (simply 4 years earlier than his tragic demise) was a extra ambivalent affair, because the vulnerabilities and sensitivities of his character performed out in a feud with Lance Armstrong, whom he angrily tried to punish with assaults for the perceived slight of gifting him a victory on Mont Ventoux.
Like stage one, stage two’s route options loads of climbs, however solely quick, punchy hills, quite than the kind that mountain goats like Pantani would savour. The important thing climb will probably be San Luca, a brief (1.9km) however very steep (10.6%) effort that will probably be tackled twice inside the ultimate 33km, and acquainted to many within the peloton because the climax of the autumnal Giro d’Emilia Basic. Primož Roglič has particularly fond reminiscences of it, not solely profitable that Basic on three separate events, but additionally triumphing in a time trial that includes a climb on the 2019 Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza.
In contrast to the Giro d’Emilia, this stage gained’t end on the prime of San Luca, however 13km away from its second ascent, which can discourage the likes of Roglič and different GC contenders to strive an assault on. As a substitute, punchy stage hunters are sure to make strikes; the query is whether or not they can get a sufficiently big hole to make it to the end in Bologna, or if all the pieces will come again collectively for a dash? And within the case of the latter, what number of sprinters will probably be left, and what number of can have been distanced on the climb?
Route profile sourced through ASO
Contenders
Stage one ended up proving as unpredictable as first thought after DSM-Firmenich-PostNL teammates Frank van den Broek and Romain Bardet surged up the street to take the stage win and the yellow jersey, and stage two appears like a equally powerful stage to name.
The San Luca climb is brutally powerful ascent and far nearer to the end than stage one’s remaining climb, which means there’s a half-chance of seeing some GC motion, significantly from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who thrive on steep inclines like this. However with so many powerful levels to return, together with the primary correct mountain stage on Tuesday, the general contenders could need to maintain their powder dry.
Due to this fact it might be an opportunity for the punchy stage hunters. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) confirmed some spectacular kind on stage one, however he might not be allowed the leeway to assault and as a substitute must hope it comes right down to a diminished bunch dash.
Alberto Bettiol (EF Schooling-EasyPost) will probably be eager to try to take a victory within the Italian nationwide champion’s jersey on residence soil, and has confirmed wonderful kind heading into the race. He definitely has the engine to carry off chasers, however could lack the firepower to lose the climbers within the first place over the climb. His teammate Ben Healy is an alternative choice for the American crew too.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) definitely does have the firepower to drop nearly anyone when he desires to, however he can also need to maintain again for future levels and was good to his phrase when he mentioned stage one was too laborious for him (a lot to this predictor’s chagrin).
People who go effectively within the Ardennes Classics could fancy their probabilities right here. Maxim van Gils (Lotto-Dstny), Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Paul Lapeira (Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale), Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), are all potential attackers on the ultimate climb.
Stage two winner prediction
We predict Maxim van Gils will take victory on stage two of the Tour de France.
