Jussi Veikkanen (la Française des Jeux) took his team’s second successive stage of the Tour of the Mediterranean in the Provence town of Trets. He took the victory ahead of Big Mat-Auber 93 duo Fabian Baquet and Yohan Mombaerts, but admitted that he would not have been able to win had confusion in the final kilometre not sent a number of riders down the team car diversion.
The breakaway of the day happened in the early kilometres as Sébastien Turgot (Bbox Bouyges Telecom), Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) and Dan Martin (Garmin-Transitions) escaped. Turgot and Garzelli were pulled in with a few kilometres to go, but Martin managed to hold out until he reached the red kite with 1km to the finish.
In the extremely cold weather the front riders of the peloton were confused by the team car diversion with 500m to go. Thirteen riders followed the diversion off course, putting them out of contention for any chance of victory. In the chaos that followed Veikkanen took the victory.
Around 30 riders were dropped form the peloton towards the finish, one of whom was Veikkanen’s teammate, yesterday’s winner and race leader Yauheni Hutarovich. The Finn’s stage victory means that Hutarovich’s jersey passes over to him.
Tomorrow’s third stage will travel 115km between Greasque and Six-Fours.
Result stage 2
1. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) la Française des Jeux
2. Fabian Baquet (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
3. Yohan Mombaerts (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
4. Steven Tronet (Fra) Roubaix-Lille Metropole
5. William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouyges Telecom
6. Jean-Marc Marino (Fra) Saur-Sojasun
7. Michel Kreder (Ned) Garmin-Transitions
8. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis
9. Yannvck Talabardon (Fra) Saur-Sojasun
10. Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
Standings after stage 2
1. Jussi Veikkanen (la Française des Jeux)
2. William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouyges Telecom
3. Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana