Stage 2

The road

At the start

Les Essarts, and the clock for nine

Philippe Gilbert holds the yellow jersey, the green and the polka dots after a single day, with Cadel Evans three seconds back and Thor Hushovd six. Today is twenty-three flat kilometres around Les Essarts against the clock, nine riders at a time. A team time trial reshuffles a general classification whether or not it opens real gaps, and Garmin-Cervélo, BMC, Leopard Trek and Sky all have reasons to fancy it.

How it was won

1. 114 km to go

   Sky set the mark

   Team Sky come through the opening nine kilometres in 9:02, quickest of anyone so far around Les Essarts. It will not last the afternoon.

2. 24 km to go

   Four seconds, and five men left

   At the second check Garmin-Cervélo lead Sky by four seconds with seven riders still together. Sky are down to five by the line and finish second best to that point.

3. 3At the line

   Hushovd by forty-seven hundredths

   Garmin-Cervélo's 24:48.10 holds off a storming BMC by four seconds, and Thor Hushovd swaps the rainbow bands for the yellow jersey by forty-seven hundredths of a second over Cadel Evans. Cancellara tows Leopard Trek to third by hundredths of their own.

The result