This year, the Ecuadorian from EF Education-Easypost wins the second stage in Lélex, erasing the disappointment of 2023, when Michaël Storer dominated him.
Shortly after staging the historic finish of the fifth stage of this year’s Tour de France – with Mark Cavendish’s thirty-sixth Tour victory – the town of Saint-Vulbas welcomed the start of stage 2 of the Tour de l’Ain.
Seven men set off early on the 155.3 km-long route with 2974 m of climbing. Robin Plamondon (CIC-U-Nantes Atlantique) added a few more climbing points, taking the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes region blue jersey with white polka dots for tomorrow. At the top of the first climb of the day, the côte de Corlier (11 km at 4.1%), he was ahead of Andrea Mifsud (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) and Célestin Guillon. The latter, with Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) who later dropped back, pulled away from the group. He let the bearded Van Rysel-Roubaix rider have a 30-second lead over a peloton that was stretching out under the acceleration of Groupama-FDJ.
The French team’s intentions were confirmed when Reuben Thompson and Samuel Watson took second and third place at the top of the côte de Giron. Guillon was caught in the transition section with 50 km to go, before the Col de Menthières (9.1 km at 7%). He well deserved his Semcoda prize for fighting spirit.
This second day’s arbiter is attacked by a group of around twenty men in which the main contending teams are well represented. The Solimut Mutuelle de France yellow jersey Fergus Browning (Trinity Racing) was absent from this group, but held on to the Crédit Mutuel green jersey for stage 3.
EF Education-Easypost took the lead with 29 km to go and made the race harder. Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ) placed his first short attaque. Victor Lafay (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Alexander Jefferson Cepeda (EF) follow. But with 25 km to go, the two Frenchmen were unable to stay with the Ecuadorian, who wanted to do better than in 2023 in a similar finish: wearing the yellow jersey, he had collapsed and let Michaël Storer add a second Tour de l’Ain win to his palmarès. Antonio Pedrero (Movistar Team), a winner in Lélex in 2022, set off in pursuit, passing Cepeda 20s later at the top of the Col de Menthières. A group of around ten riders was 37s behind.
The gap got slimmer as the kilometers went by. Would the outcome of the second stage resemble that of the first? Pedrero got caught by the chasing pack, but Cepeda didsn’t waver and celebrated victory for the second time in two years. At Lélex, he maintains a 28s gap over Stefano Oldani (Cofidis). The Italian won the sprint ahead of Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), Tom Donnenwirth (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Team) – 3rd at the top of the Col de Menthières – and Pedrero.
Overall, with bonuses awarded, Cepeda has a 32s lead over Oldani, 33s over Molard and 38s over the next eleven men, including Frenchmen Rochas, Rémi Capron (Van Rysel-Roubaix), Donnenwirth, Nicolas Breuillard (Saint-Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) and Victor Lafay (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Team).
Killian Verschuren (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Team) takes the white Streichenberger jersey for best young rider.
Although EF Education-Easypost has shown its strength, the third and final stage, with its hilly profile and eight climbs over 153.1 km between Lagnieu and Ile Chambod, promises to be a lively affair. The climbers and puncheurs will get a second chance to shine.
Awards:
– Solimut Mutuelle de France yellow jersey (general): Alexander Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-Easypost).
– Crédit Mutuel green jersey: Fergus Browning (Trinity Racing).
– Streichenberger white jersey (best young rider): Killian Verschuren (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Team).
– Région Auvergne-Rhône Alpes blue jersey with white polka dots (best climber): Robin Plamondon (CIC-U-Nantes Atlantique).
Stage 2 rankings:
1. Alexander Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-Easypost), 3h50min20s
2. Stefano Oldani (Cofidis), 28s
3. Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), 28s
4. Tom Donnenwirth (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale Team), 28s
5. Antonio Pedrero (Movistar Team), at 28s
General ranking:
1. Alexander Jefferson Cepeda (EF Education-Easypost), 6h54min58s
2. Stefano Oldani (Cofidis), 32s
3. Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), 33s
4. Rémi Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), 38s
5. Rémi Capron (Van Rysel-Roubaix), 38s
