Even though Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish won his second stage of the Tour de France, Tinkoff’s Peter Sagan still leads the race overall.
Photograph by Marshall Kappel
Cavendish lost too much time on the uphill finish at the end of Stage 2 to be a threat to Sagan’s yellow jersey, so even with the time bonus for winning the stage in Angers, he’s way down on the Tour’s General Classification.
How long can he stay in yellow?
It depends how Sagan fares on Wednesday’s tough stage from Limoges to Le Lioran. With four tough ascents in the final 45km of the stage, Sagan will need to hang with the Tour’s best climbers in order to defend yellow. The climbs are short, steeper climbs than those found in the Alps and Pyrenees, which gives Sagan a chance. But he’ll need one of the best rides of his career to stay in the lead. But this is Peter Sagan we’re talking about, and he’s surprised us all before. The finish of Stage 4 suits Sagan with another uphill drag to the finish. If he finishes in the top-3, he’ll add time to his lead, improving his chances of holding onto the jersey Wednesday.
Who’s really winning the Tour?
It’s still too soon to say, but the Tour’s overall contenders are starting to creep into the top-10. Sagan, Julian Alaphilippe, and Alejandro Valverde still occupy places 1-3 thanks to their finishes at the end of Stage 2. But Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana now sit fourth and sixth and are poised to start their own duel for the yellow jersey once the race hits the Pyrenees.
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