🚴 Paris-Nice Stage 2 - Dylan Groenewegen too powerful for Elia Viviani as the Dutchman takes Stage 2 & his fifth victory of the season!

LottoNL-Jumbo's Dylan Groenewegen, one of the in-form sprinters at the moment, pipped another in-form sprinter in Elia Viviani to Stage victory on the Second Stage of the 76th edition of the Paris-Nice; timing his sprint finish to perfection to ensure victory.

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Quick-Step had navigated both themselves and Viviani into a brilliant position in the closing 500m, breaking off the front of the peloton for a couple of seconds. But it was the Dutchman, Groenewegen, that was able to take advantage of the gaps at the front and raced up the uphill sprint finish to the line.

Arnaud Demare, wearing the yellow jersey after a close victory on yesterday's stage, finished in fifth place and in conjunction with the bonus seconds he was able to pick-up during the day, he extends his lead at the top over Gorka Izagirre.

With a tough, rainy and wet day yesterday, no-one tried too hard to form a breakaway and for the majority of the ride, it was just the one group. This allowed Arnaud Demare to take the time bonuses that were on offer at the various intermediate sprints throughout the route, giving him a larger time advantage over Bahrain-Merida's Gorka Izagirre.

Julian Alaphilippe (one of my favourites) was also able to pick up time bonus points on the second intermediate sprint and largens the gap in the GC back to rival Tim Wellens. Being just 10 seconds off the pace of Arnaud Demare with the course profiles that we have had is greatly impressive, and the Frenchman puts himself into a very commanding position coming into the more difficult stages.

Tomorrow we see a very difficult 210km-long hilly stage from Bourges and Châtel-Guyon. Possibly a stage for a breakaway victory, but we will have to see. If I had to put my money on someone, however, it would be Thomas De Gendt (of Lotto Soudal).

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Stage 2 Results:

1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) | LottoNL-Jumbo | 4:51:31
2. Elia Viviani (ITA) | Quick-Step Floors
3. Andre Greipel (GER) | Lotto Soudal
4. Phil Bauhaus (GER) | Team Sunweb
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) | Groupama-FDJ

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GC Standings after Stage 2:

1. Arnaud Demare (FRA) | Groupama-FDJ | 7:58:57
2. Gorka Izagirre (ESP) | Bahrain-Merida | + 0:00:07
3. Christopher Laporte (FRA) | Cofidis | + 0:00:08
4. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) | Quick-Step Floors | + 0:00:10
5. Mike Teunissen (NED) | Team Sunweb | + 0:00:13

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