Chris Froome: I couldn't have hoped for more at this stage
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Updated 05/07/2015 at 20:35 GMT
One year after crashing out of the race, Chris Froome and Alberto Contador were back in control of the Tour de France, hurting their main rivals in a hectic second stage won by German Andre Greipel on Sunday.
Great Britain's Christopher Froome (C)
Image credit: Imago
Crosswinds and crashes caused several splits as the peloton made its way through heavy rain on a 166-kilometre ride from Utrecht, with Froome and Contador ending up in a small leading group that also included American Tejay van Garderen as they finished one minute 28 seconds ahead of the main pack.
In that pack was defending champion Vincenzo Nibali, Colombian Nairo Quintana and France's Thibaut Pinot, who could only limit the damage after being trapped behind on a stage that went along the North Sea.
Greipel was the fastest in the finishing straight, outsprinting Slovakian Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara, with the Swiss taking the overall leader's yellow jersey from Australia's Rohan Dennis.
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Trek Factory rider Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland wears the race leader's yellow jersey on the podium after the 166-km (103.15 miles) second stage of the 102nd Tour de France cycling race from Utrecht to Zeeland, July 5, 2015
Image credit: Reuters
Froome, the 2013 Tour champion, crashed out of the Tour on the fifth stage last year, while Spain's Contador, who is attempting a rare Giro d'Italia/Tour double, abandoned his 2014 race after breaking his shinbone in a crash.
"This a huge advantage for us to sit in this position after one flat day out on the road," Team Sky rider Froome told reporters.
"This is a three-week race and things do change on a daily basis. We're ahead today but who knows what's in store for us for the rest of the week.
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Great Britain's Christopher Froome (C) and France's Warren Barguil ride in the pack during the 166 km second stage of the 102nd edition of the Tour de France cycling race on July 5, 2015, between Utrecht and Neeltje Jans island in the Dutch city of Vrouwe
Image credit: AFP
"I'm really thankful to my team-mates for keeping me in front, especially when that split happened," added Froome.
"I couldn't have hoped for much more at this stage. One second Nibali was next to me so I couldn't believe it when he was distanced."
Contador, of the Tinkoff-Saxo team, said: "There are days like this when you're very happy to have team mates like mine."
Froome is 10th overall, 48 seconds behind Cancellara, who is wearing the yellow jersey for the first time since 2012, while Contador sits in 14th place one minute off the pace.
"It was almost like a one-day classic race," Cancellara, whose season had been hampered by a severe back injury, told reporters.
Van Garderen, one of the main contenders behind the Big Four of Froome, Contador, Nibali and Quintana, is eighth -- four seconds ahead of Froome.
Pinot, the most impressive pre-race favourite in Saturday's opening time trial, is now 2:07 behind Cancellara with Nibali (2:09) and Quintana (2:27) further behind.
"The race is still long, with surprises every day, it was the case today," said Pinot.
They will all have a chance of revenge in Monday's third stage, which finishes up the short but punishing climb to the Mur de Huy.
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