The 2nd stage of the Tour de France 2016 took place on July 3, 2016. It led over 183 kilometers from Saint-Lô to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin . There were three mountain classifications in the 4th category and one mountain classification in the 3rd category as well as an intermediate sprint in Port-Bail after 107.5 kilometers. The mountain classification of the 3rd category was just before the stage finish, so a mass sprint was unlikely and sprinters could instead win for somewhat more demanding terrain.
Immediately after the start, a four-man escape group formed. Again there was Paul Voss (BOA), who set out to defend the mountain jersey he had won in the 1st stage. The three companions were his teammate Cesare Benedetti , Jasper Stuyven (TFS) and Vegard Breen (FVC). However, the first mountain classification in the fourth category was not won by Voss, but by Norwegian Breen, the following two scores for one point each were won by Jasper Stuyven.
Meanwhile, there was a crash in the main field on the wet roads, in which Alberto Contador (TNK) was again involved. The group that was thrown back was able to quickly reconnect with the peloton. The lead of the outliers was between five and six minutes at the intermediate sprint. In the breakaway group, there was no sprint for the intermediate ranking, Benedetti was ahead of Voss, Breen and Stuyven. André Greipel (LTS) decided the sprint of the main field for himself, with the German taking eleven points.
From around 25 kilometers from the finish line, the field began, especially under the leadership of the BMC team, to follow up behind the outliers that were still more than four minutes ahead. Up front Benedetti could no longer follow the pace of the other three and was caught. They were still about 2:30 minutes from the field when Jasper Stuyven attacked 7.5 kilometers from the finish and tried to win the stage as a soloist. He still reached the mountain classification of the third category, thus two more points and the lead in this classification. A little later, Stuyven was sprinted over the last kilometer by the upcoming stage favorites.
A start by the Orica BikeExchange duo Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews was followed by a counter-action by Julian Alaphilippe (EQS), who was intercepted by Peter Sagan (TNK) in the last few meters . Sagan won the stage and took the lead in the overall and points classification. Alaphilippe took second stage in the white jersey of the best young rider.
Some of the classification drivers already lost time on the last climb: Alberto Contador and Ilnur Zakarin (KAT) crossed the finish line around 50 seconds behind. Richie Porte (BMC) lost 1:45 minutes to Sagan due to a technical defect and crossed the finish line together with ag2r driver Domenico Pozzovivo and Mark Cavendish (DDD), who, as expected, could not defend his yellow jersey.
Scoring
Intermediate sprint in Portbail after 107.5 km over 13 m
