Stage Two saw another breakaway attempt and it was Dan's Fortuneo-Vital Concept teammate Vegard Breen of Norway who managed to get up the road, alongside Jasper Stuyen of Trek - Segafredo and Paul Voß and Cesare Benedetti both of BORA - ARGON 18.
The weather was miserable from the start in Saint Lô and that was pretty much the same throughout the 183km stage to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.
The breakaway built-up a substantial lead, but the cruel final kick in the last 3km destroyed what resilience was left in the break. With the bunch winding up the pace the riders were forced to forget the misery of the moisture in the air and on the road as the speed of the chasing pack was almost double that of the escapees at times.
The 14% gradient of Côte de La Glacerie must have stung the legs of Jasper Stuyven, the lone break survivor, who was caught by the peloton with just 500m left to race. The short, sharp hills at the end of the stage, and the speed the bunch raced up, made it a hard day, following the excitement of a top 10 finish yesterday.
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