Just 24 hours after winning the opening stage at Tour de la Provence, Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) has lost time and also relinquished the race leader's jersey to Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek).
Danish rider Pedersen today showed his first signs of serious form this season when he went clear, with 18km to go, alongside Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious). The duo made it all the way to the line, finishing just 16 seconds clear of the remains of the peloton.
Pedersen easily took the final sprint, gaining four seconds on Mohorič, and putting to rest any doubts about his form in these early weeks of the season.
Today's 167.3km stage from Forcalquier to Manosque, with 2,430m of climbing, saw Ireland's Bennett slip off the back with about 30km remaining, never to get back to the front bunch and finishing in a large group 1:25 down.
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Dillon Corkery (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93) finished in the same group as Bennett, in 50th place, while Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost) was 67th, in a group at 7:03.
Pedersen now leads the race overall, which just a sprinters' stage to come tomorrow, by 13 seconds from Mohorič. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) is 3rd at 24 seconds. Bennett is now 20th at 1:30.
Mads Pedersen shows his class to take Stage 2 of Tour de la Provence ? pic.twitter.com/EXrX3WFKS5
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 15, 2025
