Well led by his Cofidis team, the Norman won a few meters ahead of Mattias Jensen and Rudy Molard. He grabs the yellow tunic. The first seven are held in twenty seconds. The final stage promises to be particularly lively.
The only certainty for this second stage between Saint-Vulbas, stage town since 2013, and Lagnieu, which hosts a finish unlike last year, is the presence of heat throughout the 142.50 km rugged in the plain of Ain and Bugey.
The Germany Espoirs team never comes to the Tour de l’Ain to do extras. One of his youngsters, Hannes Wilksch, is in the first breakaway of the day with the French Louis Richard (Team U Nantes Atlantique) and Tony Hurel (Saint-Michel Auber 93) as well as the Swede Jacob Eriksson (Riwal Cycling Team) . These four men finished the first ascent of the Col de Portes (8.2 km at 5.8%) four minutes ahead of the peloton. This is maintained around 2min30s at sixty kilometers from the goal. On the climb to the Col des Ditches (6.1 km at 5.4%), Hurel let go then it was the turn of J. Eriksson. Behind, Groupama FDJ with in its ranks, the leader of the Tour de l’Ain, Jake Stewart, who signed his first victory among the professionals the day before, relayed by UAE and EF Education-Easy Post, is regularly at the front. The rhythm is more accentuated under the impetus of Cofidis. Wilksch and Richard cross the Seillonnaz coast (5.9km at 5.5%) with an advantage of around forty seconds. On this occasion, the German seizes the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region polka dot jersey. The Frenchman is designated combative Semcoda.
The duo is caught at the start of the second passage of the Col de Portes. In the climb, a selection takes place at the head of the race. A group made up in particular of Julian Alaphilippe and Mauri Vansevenant (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates), Ivan Sosa Cuervo (Movistar), Sébastien Reichenbach and Rudy Molard (Groupama FDJ) as well Jaakko Hänninen (AG2R Citroën Team) breaks away. At the top, Mattias Jensen (Trek Segafredo) gives way. He was joined ten kilometers from the finish. Molard (Groupama FDJ) launched a new offensive then Martin, in vain. Bennett and Alaphilippe fail to follow. Four kilometers from Lagnieu, they find themselves at seven.
Martin’s second attack in sight of the red flame is the correct one. He manages to keep a few meters over Jensen and Molard to raise his arms for the first time in 2022. He takes the Solimut Mutuelle de France yellow jersey six seconds ahead of Jensen, the new wearer of the Ain Tourisme Parc white jerseys des Oiseaux and green Crédit Mutuel, 8 on Molard and 12 on Vansevenant, Sosa Cuervo and Hänninen, Reichenbach clocking in at 20s. “The work is not finished, it will have to be finished tomorrow”, warns Martin who was able to count today on a solid team. “The goal is the final victory. »
Numbers
118 runners, Pierre Barbier (B&B Hotels-KTM), not runner.
5 retirements, i.e. 113 classified.
38.031 km/h average.
