All it took was a match to set the race ablaze this Friday afternoon on the Route d’Occitanie. And not just because of the heat wave. The second stage, truncated by decision of the prefect of the Tarn, gave rise to numerous attacks within the peloton.
The route of this historic stage has been reduced to 35 kilometers, with the coast of Tiergues as the only listed difficulty. Right out of Belmont-sur-Rance, where the new start was set around 2:45 p.m. this Friday, June 17, the first breakaways took place. Among the notable attacks: that of the Dutchman Nikki Terpstra, one of the best riders in the peloton.
In the end, in southern Aveyron, it was Roger Adrià Oliveras of Ken Pharma who won at Roquefort in a breathless finish. The first French Julien Simon comes fourth.