Riders protest at Tour de France
Sylvain Chavanel won the second stage of the Tour de France yesterday, but the victory was marred by controversy, as the peloton decided not to contest the second-place sprint finish as a protest against the treacherous race conditions.
It was a day where several riders fell off as a result of the tricky conditions. Last year’s runner-up Andy Schleck was a big name to fall, while Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, David Millar and Cadel Evans also fell victim to the wet and slippery surface from Brussels through to Spa.
Chavanel won by a distance of three minutes and 56 seconds, and with 19 kilometres to go there was no doubt he was going to take stage victory. His lead was down to the protest that the peloton decided to stage with 14 kilometres to go to the finish. Previous yellow jersey holder Fabian Cansellara instructed for the peloton to slow down, meaning he would be sacrificing the lead he had in the overall standings after his victory in the prologue of the Tour.
Four minutes after Chavanel crossed the line, a total of 123 riders followed to a chorus of jeers from the crowd, leaving Cancellara unimpressed by what he had heard when he finished the stage.
The dangerous riding conditions were not appreciated by the riders, and today’s third stage beginning at Wanze and ending at Arenberg Porte du Hainaut will be eagerly anticipated.
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