Route d’Occitanie 2020 – Stage 2 [FULL STAGE]

August 2, 2020

Route d’Occitanie 2020 – Stage 2 – Carcassonne – Cap Découverte : 174,5 km

Racing returns to France on Saturday with the start of the four-day Route d’Occitanie, which features a host of Tour de France hopefuls – notably defending champion Egan Bernal and four-time winner Chris Froome, both of Team Ineos, and a trio of French favourites in the shape of Thibaut Pinot (Gropupama-FDJ), Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) and road race national champion Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic). What was for many years the Route du Sud – a race that stuck extremely close to the Pyrenees – the Route d’Occitanie (pronounced ‘Oxy’ rather than ‘Ocky’) now covers a huge swathe of terrain across southern France, including much of the ground that once featured in the much-missed GP de Midi Libre. Its format, however, remains essentially the same as it was under its Route du Sud guise, with two relatively straightforward stages to begin with, a tough stage in the mountains on day three that’s very likely to decide the overall winner, and a sprinter-friendly finale to finish.

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain McLaren) picked up his first win of the season when he finished a good bike length clear of his rivals at the finish of the second stage of the Route d’Occitanie at Cap Découverte after breakaway Emil Vinjebo (Riwal Readynez) had been reeled in just a kilometre short of glory. Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels-Vital Concept) finished best of the rest, second place enabling him to keep the leader’s jersey, with Total Direct Energie’s Niccolò Bonifazio in third.

“It’s good to win in my first race back and it gives me and the team a lot of confidence before the big races that are ahead such as Milan-Sanremo,” said Colbrelli. “I had a bit of mechanical problem early on in the stage, but the mechanic managed to sort that out and then the hardest part were the conditions. Yesterday the heat was intense, today the wind was the issue and made it a very hard stage.”

Coquard admitted the strongest man had won on the day. “I was a bit too far back coming into the final kilometre and we had to make a big effort to move up with 500 metres remaining. Colbrelli went very early but he was very strong. I was on his wheel but that’s where I stayed,” said the Frenchman.

The day’s break was instigated soon after the start by Vinjebo, who was soon joined by five other riders: Nikodemus Holler (Bike Aid), Samuel Leroux (Natura4ever-Roubaix), Fumiyuki Beppu (Nippo-Delko), Michal Paluta (CCC) and Ibai Azurmendi (Euskaltel-Euskadi).

Crossing the first of three category-three climbs after 27km their advantage had already reach eight-and-a-half minutes, with race leader Coquard’s B&B Hotels team and sprint rival Elia Viviani’s Cofidis setting the pace in the bunch. Until close to halfway, this gap remained at a still very healthy seven minutes before the sprinters’ teams began to make inroads.

Passing through the finish for the first time with 50km remaining, the escapees’ lead had been trimmed back to four-and-a-half minutes. When Total Direct Energie and Bahrain McLaren also added their weight to the chase, the gap finally began to tumble on this circuit, falling to a minute with 15km remaining. As the bunch closed in, Vinjebo was the last to yield approaching the finish, his hopes erased as the bunch blew past him with just a kilometre to the line.

The race’s focus changes completely tomorrow. After two stages where the sprinters have dominated, the climbers will come to the fore on a tough day in the Pyrenees featuring three first-category climbs, including the finish at the Col de Beyrède.

“The first two days were mostly about staying safe and protecting our climbers and Egan [Bernal], so it’s all good so far,” said Ineos DS Gabriel Rasch. “Tomorrow is the GC day, a big day for us. We’re going to ride it as we want. We want a hard race and we’ve got the team to do that. I think we can dictate things and hopefully we’ll get a good result on the back of that.”

Results :
1 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain – McLaren 4:22:23
2 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
3 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Total Direct Energie
4 Arvid De Kleijn (Ned) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
5 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
6 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Circus – Wanty Gobert
7 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
8 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis
9 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
10 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
11 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
12 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Team Ineos
13 Piotr Havik (Ned) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
14 Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
15 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
16 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Astana Pro Team
17 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Nippo Delko Provence
18 Josef Černý (Cze) CCC Team
19 Nick Van der Lijke (Ned) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
20 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Ineos
21 Mathias De Witte (Bel) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
22 Dzmitry Zhyhunou (Blr) Euskaltel – Euskadi
23 Jordi Lopez Caravaca (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
24 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
25 Tony Hurel (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
26 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
27 Fausto Masnada (Ita) CCC Team
28 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
29 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkéa – Samsic
30 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
31 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
32 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
33 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis
34 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
35 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
36 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Total Direct Energie
37 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
38 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek – Segafredo
39 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) CCC Team
40 Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
41 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
42 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
43 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
44 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
45 Erik Bergström Frisk (Swe) Bike Aid
46 Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) Astana Pro Team
47 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Circus – Wanty Gobert
48 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek – Segafredo
49 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
50 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain – McLaren
51 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) CCC Team
52 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Bahrain – McLaren
53 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bahrain – McLaren
54 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Astana Pro Team
55 Rémy Rochas (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
56 Aritz Bagües Kalparsoro (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
57 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkéa – Samsic
58 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek – Segafredo
59 José Gonçalves (Por) Nippo Delko Provence
60 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
61 Simone Petilli (Ita) Circus – Wanty Gobert
62 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama – FDJ
63 Ivan Moreno Sanchez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
64 Louis Louvet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
65 Scott Davies (GBr) Bahrain – McLaren
66 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
67 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
68 Kevin Inkelaar (Ned) Bahrain – McLaren
69 Romain Combaud (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
70 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
71 Ibon Ruiz Sedano (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
72 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
73 Jose Felix Parra Cuerda (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
74 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
75 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
76 Tony Gallopin (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
77 Manuel Senni (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
78 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
79 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana Pro Team
80 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
81 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain – McLaren
82 Frederik Dombrowski (Ger) Bike Aid
83 Adrien Guillonnet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
84 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
85 Michel Ries (Lux) Trek – Segafredo
86 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Team
87 Adne Van Engelen (Ned) Bike Aid
88 Thibault Ferasse (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
89 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team
90 Ibai Azurmendi Sagastibeltza (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
91 Hernando Bohorquez Sanchez (Col) Astana Pro Team
92 Jeremy Bellicaud (Fra) Circus – Wanty Gobert
93 Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
94 Emil Nygaard Vinjebo (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
95 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Ineos
96 Georg Zimmermann (Ger) CCC Team
97 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
98 Andreas Lorentz Kron (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
99 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
100 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
101 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:00:16
102 Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic 0:00:20
103 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis 0:00:26
104 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:00:43
105 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
106 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Team Ineos
107 Andrey Amador (CRc) Team Ineos
108 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
109 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Team Ineos
110 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama – FDJ
111 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama – FDJ 0:00:59
112 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis 0:01:10
113 Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm 0:01:11
114 Kevin Reza (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm 0:02:23
115 Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie
116 Théo Delacroix (Fra) Circus – Wanty Gobert 0:03:50
117 Unai Cuadrado Ruiz de Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:04:02
118 Sergio Nestor Araiz Michel (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
119 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence
120 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cofidis
121 Christoffer Lisson (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
122 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team 0:05:11
123 Martin Bouzas Rey (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
124 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert
125 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos
126 Morné Van Niekerk (RSA) St Michel – Auber 93
127 Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
128 Alexander Evans (Aus) Circus – Wanty Gobert
129 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
130 Jesse De Rooij (Ned) Bike Aid
131 Nikodemus Holler (Ger) Bike Aid
132 William Clarke (Aus) Trek – Segafredo 0:07:02
133 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
134 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis 0:07:18
135 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
136 Marco Mathis (Ger) Cofidis 0:10:00
137 Lucas Carstensen (Ger) Bike Aid
138 Thibault Guernalec (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
139 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
140 Maxime Cam (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
141 Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Total Direct Energie

General Classification after Stage 2 :
1 Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm 8:57:07
2 Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain – McLaren 0:00:02
3 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cofidis 0:00:10
4 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:00:11
5 Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Total Direct Energie 0:00:12
6 Michal Paluta (Pol) CCC Team
7 Emil Nygaard Vinjebo (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
8 Ibai Azurmendi Sagastibeltza (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:00:15
9 Andreas Lorentz Kron (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
10 Clement Venturini (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale 0:00:16
11 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Circus – Wanty Gobert
12 Egan Arley Bernal Gomez (Col) Team Ineos
13 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
14 Josef Černý (Cze) CCC Team
15 Nick Van der Lijke (Ned) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
16 Warren Barguil (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
17 Mathias De Witte (Bel) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
18 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
19 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
20 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Astana Pro Team
21 Fausto Masnada (Ita) CCC Team
22 Jordi Lopez Caravaca (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
23 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
24 Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
25 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
26 Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Ineos
27 Pierre Latour (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
28 Jhojan Orlando Garcia Sosa (Col) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
29 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek – Segafredo
30 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
31 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
32 Julien Trarieux (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
33 Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Circus – Wanty Gobert
34 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek – Segafredo
35 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
36 Ivan Moreno Sanchez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
37 José Gonçalves (Por) Nippo Delko Provence
38 Tony Gallopin (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
39 Matteo Malucelli (Ita) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
40 Simone Petilli (Ita) Circus – Wanty Gobert
41 Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
42 Richie Porte (Aus) Trek – Segafredo
43 Connor Swift (GBr) Team Arkéa – Samsic
44 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
45 Rémy Rochas (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
46 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
47 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
48 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic
49 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
50 Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut) Bahrain – McLaren
51 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
52 Thibault Ferasse (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
53 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale
54 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Bahrain – McLaren
55 Manuel Senni (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
56 Erik Bergström Frisk (Swe) Bike Aid
57 Piotr Havik (Ned) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
58 Joseph Rosskopf (USA) CCC Team
59 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama – FDJ
60 Romain Combaud (Fra) Nippo Delko Provence
61 Ibon Ruiz Sedano (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
62 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
63 Kevin Inkelaar (Ned) Bahrain – McLaren
64 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
65 Bram Welten (Ned) Team Arkéa – Samsic
66 Michel Ries (Lux) Trek – Segafredo
67 Frederik Dombrowski (Ger) Bike Aid
68 Harold Alfonso Tejada Canacue (Col) Astana Pro Team
69 Jose Felix Parra Cuerda (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
70 Adne Van Engelen (Ned) Bike Aid
71 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bahrain – McLaren
72 Aritz Bagües Kalparsoro (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
73 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
74 Jeremy Bellicaud (Fra) Circus – Wanty Gobert
75 Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Trek – Segafredo
76 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
77 Santiago Buitrago Sanchez (Col) Bahrain – McLaren
78 Adrien Guillonnet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
79 Merhawi Kudus (Eri) Astana Pro Team
80 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
81 Miguel Angel Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Pro Team
82 Hernando Bohorquez Sanchez (Col) Astana Pro Team
83 Omar Fraile Matarranz (Spa) Astana Pro Team
84 Georg Zimmermann (Ger) CCC Team
85 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Ineos
86 Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
87 Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
88 Anthony Turgis (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:00:32
89 Scott Davies (GBr) Bahrain – McLaren 0:00:36
90 Jens Debusschere (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm 0:00:59
91 Andrey Amador (CRc) Team Ineos
92 Jonathan Castroviejo Nicolas (Spa) Team Ineos
93 Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Team Ineos
94 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama – FDJ
95 Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama – FDJ 0:02:12
96 Frederik Backaert (Bel) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm 0:03:05
97 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Cofidis 0:04:18
98 Christoffer Lisson (Den) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team
99 Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis 0:04:42
100 Martin Bouzas Rey (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma 0:05:27
101 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Ineos
102 Pierre Idjouadiene (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole
103 Aime De Gendt (Bel) Circus – Wanty Gobert 0:07:13
104 Simone Consonni (Ita) Cofidis 0:07:31
105 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:10:25
106 Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè 0:10:28
107 Tony Hurel (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
108 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Nippo Delko Provence
109 Louis Louvet (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
110 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel – Auber 93
111 Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Caja Rural – Seguros Rga
112 Alan Riou (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic 0:10:48
113 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:11:11
114 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama – FDJ
115 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis 0:11:38
116 Arvid De Kleijn (Ned) Riwal Readynez Cycling Team 0:13:39
117 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) CCC Team
118 Théo Delacroix (Fra) Circus – Wanty Gobert 0:14:15
119 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Nippo Delko Provence 0:14:27
120 Unai Cuadrado Ruiz de Gauna (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:14:30
121 Sergio Nestor Araiz Michel (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
122 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Groupama – FDJ 0:14:38
123 Jesse De Rooij (Ned) Bike Aid 0:15:39
124 Nikodemus Holler (Ger) Bike Aid
125 Alexander Evans (Aus) Circus – Wanty Gobert
126 Dzmitry Zhyhunou (Blr) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0:17:10
127 William Clarke (Aus) Trek – Segafredo 0:17:30
128 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè
129 Kevin Reza (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm 0:19:33
130 Marco Mathis (Ger) Cofidis 0:20:28
131 Julien Morice (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
132 Lucas Carstensen (Ger) Bike Aid
133 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole 0:24:28
134 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis
135 Thibault Guernalec (Fra) Team Arkéa – Samsic 0:27:10
136 Maxime Cam (Fra) B&B Hotels – Vital Concept p/b Ktm
137 Adrien Petit (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:27:23
138 Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Bel) CCC Team 0:30:11
139 Morné Van Niekerk (RSA) St Michel – Auber 93 0:30:21
140 Emiel Vermeulen (Bel) Natura4ever – Roubaix – Lille Metropole 0:30:22
141 Jeremy Cabot (Fra) Total Direct Energie 0:35:11
142 Marco Benfatto (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizanè 0:38:37