Tour de France 2024: Pogacar wins stage two, claims yellow jersey

Pogacar and Vingegaard dominate Tour de France with impressive performances, Vauquelin adds French win. Exciting start to the race.

After just two days into the Tour de France, it became clear that Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are on a different level than the rest of the competition. Pogacar made a decisive move on the second ascent of the San Luca climb during the second stage of the Tour, with only Vingegaard able to keep up with him. This move allowed Pogacar to take the yellow jersey from Stage 1 winner Romain Bardet.

Breakaway rider Kevin Vauquelin continued the French success by winning the hilly stage with a strong attack on the San Luca climb, following Bardet's victory. Pogacar, who has won the Tour in 2020 and 2021, is now aiming for the rare Giro d'Italia-Tour double after his dominant performance in the Italian Grand Tour last month. Vingegaard, on the other hand, had not raced since a serious crash in April left him with multiple injuries.

The 23-year-old Vauquelin, riding for the Arkea-B&B Hotels team, claimed his first ever Grand Tour stage win in impressive fashion. The first four stages of the Tour are taking place in Italy for the first time, with the 199-kilometer route starting in Cesenatico featuring six categorized climbs, including two ascents up San Luca before the finish in downtown Bologna.

This early display of dominance from Pogacar and Vingegaard sets the stage for an exciting and competitive Tour de France, with fans eagerly anticipating the battles to come in the mountains and time trials ahead. Stay tuned for more thrilling action from the world's most prestigious cycling race.