00:01On to stage two of the Tour Avergne Rhône-Alpes, by far the longest of this edition.
00:06Yesterday, Alex Boudin put on a show and became the first leader of the race
00:10as the GC favourites just focused on each other in the final.
00:13The Frenchman looking forward to showing off his yellow and blue jersey on an unpredictable stage.
00:21It's a long stage to control, so what's the plan?
00:27To light things up? Attack is the best form of defence, after all.
00:32Is that really what you're going to do?
00:33No, we'll see. We'll see how the stage is ridden.
00:37One thing's for sure, it's going to be a very hard day for everyone.
00:41Well, there's bound to be a big fight at the start,
00:43because with the team time trial coming tomorrow,
00:45the breakaway has a great chance of going all the way for the second day running.
00:50I don't think there is a single rider in this peloton who really believes
00:54they can win outright from the peloton in this way,
00:58so it's hard to sacrifice the whole team for 250k to chase down the breakaway.
01:03Tomorrow is a team time trial also, so some teams will try to save some energy probably
01:07to make the best possible result tomorrow,
01:10and I think it's a good chance for the breakaway to go today.
01:13With the GC teams keeping their powder dry then, there's an opportunity for those who are hunting stages like NSN.
01:20They came close with George Bennett yesterday, but had two other riders abandon the race.
01:26Today's stage is hard to read, maybe one for the breakaway.
01:29It's a very long stage in the heat and then maybe the rain later on.
01:33It won't be easy, but I think the break has a big opportunity.
01:38Well, stage two is essentially a one-day classic.
01:42234 kilometres, five categorised climbs, more than 3,500 metres of elevation gain.
01:48There's a technical final heading into Le Puy-en-Velay, where there's every chance we could have a surprise winner.
01:57Well, like yesterday, a group of ten riders went up the road, with the rain starting to fall as the
02:02live pictures began.
02:04Back in the peloton, EF Education Easy Post were controlling things for their race leader Boudin,
02:09but they were happy to give the leaders a significant gap, more than six minutes.
02:13No fewer than six of the ten at the front had already attacked yesterday.
02:17Nadav Reisberg, Clément Brazafonso, Raoul Garcia-Pierna and Alex Diaz had made the break,
02:22while Benjamin Thomas and Vlad van Mechelen tried Dela in an earlier move.
02:27Today, they were joined by Jordan Giga, Henri-François Renoir-Aquin, Baptiste Weistroffer and Antin Charmig.
02:34A big opportunity then for one of these ten guys to take a World Tour stage win,
02:38and for some of them, a first professional victory.
02:41The bunch closing the gap slightly as they entered the Haute-Loire department,
02:45but they clearly had no intention of chasing them down in the final 60 kilometres.
02:52The breakaway heading into the final part of the stage,
02:56and soon approaching the penultimate climb, the Côte de Bahaque, 4.2 kilometres at 6.6%.
03:01Big attack at the front.
03:04Big move by Baptiste Weistroffer as he goes clear now.
03:10That's a huge attack by Weistroffer.
03:14This rider likes an attacking style of race, and he knows.
03:19Let's try and break this up. Go clear.
03:24Already opened up a gap of ten seconds.
03:26Clermont Brass goes with him. Brass is having a fantastic couple of days.
03:32Good move by these two riders as they go clear now.
03:36Clermont Brass has clearly got fantastic form in this race.
03:41In the breakaway yesterday, in the breakaway today.
03:46The two Frenchmen opening up a small gap then, but the gradients were too much for Weistroffer.
03:51The Antomarché Lotto man losing contact with Brass Alfonso, who was now leading solo for Groupama FDJ United.
03:59But the other escapees were getting themselves organised, with Garcia and Van Mechelen chasing,
04:04closely followed by four more riders.
04:09Or further back, Joao Almeida, who has been struggling with illness, was dropped from the peloton,
04:14as UAE, Lidl Trek and Visma Lisabak began to move forward.
04:17But there was no real action in the main bunch.
04:20It was all about the fight for stage honours.
04:24And Mechelen and Garcia Pierna catching Brass Alfonso.
04:27Before the other four, Charmig, Giga, Renat Akin and Tomat, join them as well.
04:33So seven riders now with a shot at victory.
04:36As they began the decisive final climb, the Cote de San Vidal.
04:40Two kilometres at an average of 7.4%, and almost 9% in the last kilometre.
04:46It was the Danish rider Charmig who put in the first big attack,
04:49with only Brass Alfonso and Garcia Pierna able to hold the wheel.
04:55Well, Van Mechelen did eventually fight his way back to the front as well.
04:59But they were all on their limit, especially as they hit the steepest part of the climb.
05:03And that was where Charmig decided to go again.
05:07Charmig making these riders work now as he attacks.
05:10Raul Garcia tries to react now to go across to the Danish rider.
05:16Charmig looking for points at the top and may well be thinking about winning the stage.
05:21Big acceleration with 12k to go.
05:23Charmig with just a slender few seconds as he poised to go over the top now.
05:29The final climb of the day.
05:32Anton Charmig, the 28-year-old Dane, first over the top and now in cruise mode.
05:38The UNO-X mobility man pulling away from Garcia Pierna and Brass Alfonso.
05:43The Frenchman snaffled the polka dot jersey and the combativity award, but he wouldn't be taking the stage win.
05:49Charmig increasing his lead on the run into Le Puy-en-Vallée.
05:52And with over 30 seconds in hand as he approached the final kilometre, the peloton would finish over three minutes
05:57back as Charmig celebrated his first win at World Tour level.
06:05It's a brutal day, but Charmig is going to remember this for a day in which he defeated everybody in
06:13the peloton.
06:17It's going to be the second win of his career.
06:21He shakes his head.
06:23It's four years since he did this.
06:26Charmig wins stage two.
06:31Big sprints now.
06:34As Raul Garcia gets ready, Van Mechelen goes through the middle and trying to get second place is going to
06:42be Henri.
06:42Renard Hekin, he gets second and shakes his head.
06:46Picnic post NL just miss out by one place, but they get some valuable points.
06:56Anton Charmig seizing the day and taking just his second career win after stage three of the Tour of Oman
07:02in 2022.
07:03The day in securing another prestigious success for UNO-X mobility.
07:07It's their sixth of the season and the third at World Tour level after Magnus Court at the Volta Catalunya
07:12and Frederic de Varshanes at the Giro d'Italia.
07:18It's an incredible feeling, you know.
07:20For me, I don't get that many chances each year.
07:22So, you know, when I have the chance, it's really like...
07:25So, yeah, it's an incredible feeling.
07:27I feel, you know, so happy to be here.
07:30A victory at this level probably gives you a lot of ambitions for this week and maybe for the month
07:36of July?
07:37Let's see. Hopefully it's good for the team selection.
07:41But no, I think first of all it's just about enjoying this victory.
07:46Charmig winning by 41 seconds with Renard Hekin the best of the rest.
07:51Finn Fischer-Black led in the peloton at 3 minutes and 13 seconds.
07:59That means that Alex Bourdin is still the race leader by 32 seconds with Paul Seksas and most of the
08:04big favourites at 44 seconds.
08:07But there will obviously be a big GC shake-up in tomorrow's team time trial.
08:15Nadav Reisberg takes the green jersey as the new leader of the points classification.
08:19He's five clear of the stage winner, Charmig.
08:24Raz Afonso is now the king of the mountains, having picked up nine points on the stage.
08:28Boudin slips to second place ahead of Benjamin Tomat.
08:34And Boudin is still the best young rider ahead of Rasmus De Bruyne.
08:38He'll wear the white on his behalf on stage three.
08:44Well, Tuesday is team time trial day then with a 28km course that will have a big impact on GC.
08:50Join us for that tomorrow and thanks for watching.
