Tadej Pogacar won his first ever stage of the Giro d'Italia and took the overall leader's pink jersey in Sunday's summit finish at the Sanctuary of Oropa on stage two.
🗣️ "I wasn't riding with the Maglia Bianca in mind, I didn't calculate anything, but it's my first ever jersey in a GT, and I'm really really happy!" - 🤍 🇧🇪 @CUijtdebroeks
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 5, 2024
😃 The first words from a really really happy White Jersey ⤵️#Giroditalia pic.twitter.com/rIEB1AHzvn
The Slovenian is bidding to become the first man to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double since Marco Pantani in 1998, and attacked on a hill covered in tributes to the late Italian.
🥇🩷 @TamauPogi solos to victory atop Oropa in stage 2 and takes over maglia rosa at @giroditalia 🇮🇹! #UAETeamEmirates #WeAreUAE #Giro pic.twitter.com/TLa8PVEJpI
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) May 5, 2024
Pre-race favourite Pogacar made the key move near the end of the second stage's final punishing climb skipping clear with his trademark swagger.
The UAE rider bounced back from a crash just as the peloton approached the climb towards Oropa and turned on the afterburners with four kilometres remaining of the 161km stage.
Pogacar, a two-time Tour de France winner, claimed his eighth win in just 12 days of competitive racing this year and looks in ominous form.
He finished 27 seconds ahead of Daniel Martinez and another of his key rivals Geraint Thomas, stripping the pink jersey for the lead in the general classification from Saturday's winner Jhonatan Narvaez.
Monday's third stage gives the riders something of a break with a mostly flat 166km between Novara and Fossano which looks set up for the sprinters.
STAGE 2 RESULTS
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:54:20
2. Daniel Martínez (COL) BORA - hansgrohe +27
3. Geraint Thomas (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers "
4. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) Astana - Qazaqstan Team "
5. Florian Lipowitz (GER) BORA - hansgrohe "
6. Michael Storer (AUS) Tudor Pro Cycling Team +30
7. Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Team Visma - Lease a Bike "
8. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar Team "
9. Juan Pedro López (ESP) Lidl - Trek +35
10. Jan Hirt (CZE) Soudal - Quick-Step +37
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 7:08:29
2. Geraint Thomas (GBR) INEOS Grenadiers +45
3. Daniel Martínez (COL) BORA - hansgrohe "
4. Cian Uijtdebroeks (BEL) Team Visma - Lease a Bike +54
5. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar Team "
6. Lorenzo Fortunato (ITA) Astana - Qazaqstan Team +1:05
7. Juan Pedro López (ESP) Lidl - Trek +1:09
8. Jan Hirt (CZE) Soudal - Quick-Step +1:11
9. Esteban Chaves (COL) EF Education - EasyPost +1:24
10. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana - Qazaqstan Team "