Tour de France Femmes stage 2 preview - Is Vos going to double up?

Stage 2 is also another punchy day, with 2,030m of elevation and with another uphill finish, so the sprinters are likely to be kept waiting a while longer for their chances. Similar to yesterday’s finish it could well be the same faces at the front, though there’s always a chance the yellow jersey changes ownership.

Start: 12:10 CET
Estimated arrival: 15:04 CET
Stage distance: 110.4km
Elevation gain: 2,029m

Follow stage 2 live at Domestique

Another short stage, and, as it’s still only day two, there’s likely to be a lot of fight in the bunch to make sure the race is secured early.

It’s another coastal start, this time in the port city of Brest, with the route taking the race south for another circuit finish. On the way, there are points available at the day’s intermediate sprint at Châteaulin, 45.6km into the race. It immediately precedes the third category climb at Menez Quelerc’h, with the fourth category Côte de Locronan coming after 68.4km.

There’s only one lap of Sunday’s circuit, the peloton joining it just north of the finish in Quimper, with 33.2km of the day remaining, after which it’s straight uphill, this time for another fourth category climb, the Côte du Chemin de Trohéir, which will be ridden just before the finish. 

Once over the top it’s a fast descent to the dig to the line and one lap of the 25.9km circuit, which very lumpy indeed. The final ascent of the Côte du Chemin de Trohéir tops out just 4.7km from the line. The final kilometre also climbs, opening with 200m at more than 10% average gradient, though it levels out towards the line. 

With mountains points up for grabs there’ll be plenty of teams looking to get in the break, but once again, it’s a short stage and no one will be allowed too much space. The real long range bids for stage glory will come on the back end of the circuit, possibly on the unclassified climb 12km out, but expect that last classified climb to witness the real action.

Classified climbs: 

Menez Quelerc’h at 50.7km, 2.8km at 5.8% average 
Côte de Locronan at 68.4km, 800m at 8.4% average 
Côte du Chemin de Trohéir at 79.9km, 1km at 5.3% average
Côte du Chemin de Trohéir 105.7km, 1km at 5.3% average

Intermediate sprint:

Châtealain at 45.6km

In taking a fabulously well timed win in Plumelec, Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike) showed that she isn’t called the GOAT for nothing, but she may not be as dominant this time out.

On Saturday, it wasn’t just her perfect sprint that won the day, but excellent team work which put both her and her squad’s GC rider, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot in pole position and there’s every chance they will do the same on Sunday with the same effect. 

One thing we didn’t see is her team doing too much work earlier in the stage, but we did see SD Worx-Protime, who then lost riders on the first ascent to the finish, seemed confused in the closing 2km. Don’t expect them to do that same in Quimper. 

On Saturday it seemed the team were working for world champion Lotte Kopecky, with teammate Lorena Wiebes closing gaps and in the wind in the final. Kopecky was boxed in when the sprit opened, but with stage 2’s finish more suited to Wiebes, expect roles to be reversed.

We saw a great team performance from Lidl-Trek on Saturday, even if their sprinter, Elisa Balsamo eventually finished  more than 30 seconds down in 27th place. She will go better on Saturday, especially if her team are still there at the finishing ramp.

Finally, second on stage one, Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) is clearly flying, after her Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory we know she can sprint on the flat, so she could go one better on stage two.

There’s little worry about from the weather, with low winds and, with 21º forecast there’ll be no need for constant trips to the car for ice packs.