The eagerly awaited duel between Nicolas Prodhomme and Cian Uijtdebroeks finally took place and was decided in a sprint finish in Lélex. The Frenchman from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale beat the Belgian to take the yellow jersey sponsored by Solimut Mutuelle de France.
After a quiet start to the stage, Sergio Samitier (Cofidis), Antoine Berlin (Bike Aid), Gianluca Brambilla (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Jaakko Hänninen (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) and Thomas Champion (Saint-Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93) – the latter three among the top 29 finishers in stage 1 – managed to make a first breakaway towards the Ambronay coast (km 38.8). Antoine Berlin, then Jaakko Hänninen and Thomas Champion, dropped back, leaving the Spaniard from Cofidis (who turned 30 on August 31) and the Italian from Q36.5 (who turned 38 on August 22) with a 2min11s lead on the Côte de Giron (9 km at 5.9%) with 50 kilometers to go. Visma/Lease a bike picked up the pace at the front of the peloton. The yellow jersey holder Solimut Mutuelle de France, Tom Donnewirth, and the green jersey holder Crédit Mutuel, David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), struggled to keep up.
At the front, the experienced duo, who have a chance to make their mark in the overall standings, see the gap narrow to 1 minute 40 seconds with 30 kilometers to go to Lélex. The climb up the Col de Menthières (9.1 kilometers at 7%) takes its toll on many legs, as does the sustained pace imposed by Visma/Lease a bike. Only the strongest riders remain in contact. While Sergio Samitier briefly leaves Gianluca Brambilla alone, Cian Uijtdebroeks goes on the offensive and is quickly joined at the front by Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) 26 kilometers from the finish. Cofidis trainee Jamie Meehan and his teammate Sylvain Moniquet, Geoffrey Bouchard (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Tijmen Graat and Ben Tulett (Visma/Lease a bike), Louis Rouland (Arkea-B&B Hotels) and Gianluca Brambilla set off in pursuit. The Belgian and French riders had a 1min04s lead at the top of the Col de Menthières. On the descent, they increased their lead to 1min30s with 10 kilometers to go. The victory was clearly between the two men, who worked together and communicated, sometimes slowing down.
Shortly after the 200-meter sign marking the finish line in Lélex, Nicolas Prodhomme made his move, catching Cian Uijtdebroeks by surprise. He wins his fifth victory of the season with a 2-second lead and takes the yellow jersey from Solimut Mutuelle de France and the green jersey from Crédit Mutuel, while his rival takes the white jersey from Streichenberger bp HVO and the polka dot jersey from Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes goes to Sergio Samitier. Jamie Meehan won the sprint of the chasing group 53 seconds behind, ahead of Ben Tulett, Louis Rouland, Sylvain Moniquet, Geoffrey Bouchard, who had attempted to break away 2 kilometers from the finish, and Gianluca Brambilla, the most combative rider of the day. At 2min03s, Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) completed the Top 10, ahead of Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), Victor Guernalec (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Nicolas Breuillard (Saint-Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93), and eight other riders.
Nicolas Prodhomme: “The mood can only be good for the 2025 season. The team has come with great ambitions. We saw that with Andrea Vendrame (3rd) yesterday, and why not today too? Yesterday, Visma played a lot with me, but they also lost a lot. We know there are no time bonuses at the end, so it will come down to position if we’re on the same time. I was better placed in the sprint yesterday (6th; Uijtdebroeks, 26th). I have the upper hand, I’m more on the defensive, and it’s up to them to take risks.”
The figure
An average speed of 38.3 km/h for the winner, who covered the 158 km in 4 hours, 7 minutes, and 48 seconds.
See you tomorrow for the third stage, which promises to be decisive for the overall victory, between Plateau d’Hauteville and Belley, passing through two challenging climbs, the Col de la Biche (6.1 km at 9.1%) and the Col du Grand Colombier, the only hors catégorie climb in this edition (15.3 km at 7.9%).
