The Wiggins/Evans battle has just begun!
                                                    Photo:ASO/P.Perreve

Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY) claimed the second stage victory of his career at the Dauphiné after the epic closing stage to Sallanches two years ago under the pouring rain. The Norwegian proved himself to be the fastest in a bunch gallop even though he’s racing the whole week at the service of Bradley Wiggins who retained the lead ahead of the 53.5km time trial from Villié-Morgon to Bourg-en-Bresse.

Maté and Martinez away from km 0
Luis Angel Maté (COF) and Egoi Martinez (EUS) attacked from the gun. There was no reaction from the bunch, so the two Spaniards rapidly increased their lead up to six minutes while they cruised in the côte de Saint-André. “The Andalusian lynx” Maté transited in first position at the top but some sprinters’ teams decided to limit the advance of the leading duo: FDJ-BigMat and Argos-Shimano stabilized the gap at four minutes.

Bernaudeau takes the polka dot jersey back
As he passed in the first position of the bunch at two of the three climbs of the day, Giovanni Bernaudeau (EUC) scored three points for the King of the Mountains competition. That was enough for the Frenchman to get back into the lead and secure the polka dot jersey he was forced to leave to Blel Kadri (ALM) for one day. Within 30 kilometres to go, the Lampre-ISD team appeared at the front of the peloton together with FDJ-BigMat and Argos-Shimano. Maté and Martinez got reined in with 15km to go after a 152-km long journey out of the bunch through the nice countryside.

Degenkolb has another flat tyre, Boasson Hagen wins again
John Degenkolb (ARG) was the hot favourite for the bunch gallop but he had a flat tyre with 2km to go and experienced the same kind of disappointment as in the last 10km of stage 1. It opened an opportunity for Edvald Boasson Hagen (SKY) to forget his main duty as a domestique for race leader Bradley Wiggins (SKY). The Norwegian took the slipstream of the train set by Omega Pharma-Quick Step and outclassed Gerald Ciolek for the stage victory. With no change on GC, Wiggins keeps the yellow-blue jersey on the eve of the individual time trial from Villié-Morgon to Bourg-en-Bresse.

RESULTS: A 167 km ride from Givors to La Clayette:
   Stage
   1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR/SKY) 4hr 22min 13sec, 2. Gerald Ciolek
(GER/OPQ) same time, 3. Borut Bozic (SLO/AST) s.t., 4. Roger Kluge (GER/SKS) s.t., 5. Murilo Fischer (BRA/GRM) s.t., 6. Tony Gallopin (FRA/RSH) s.t., 7. Davide Cimolai (ITA/LAM) s.t., 8. Michael Matthews (AUS/RAB) s.t., 9. Sebastien Hinault (FRA/ALM) s.t., 10. Jonathan Cantwell (AUS/SAX) s.t., 11. Nacer Bouhanni  (FRA/FDJ) s.t., 12. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/SAU) s.t., 13. Leonardo Duque (COL/COF) s.t., 14. Kenny De Haes (BEL/LTB) s.t., 15. Cyril Gautier (FRA/EUC) s.t., 16. Daniele Ratto (ITA/LIQ) s.t., 17. Jelle Vanendert (BEL/LTB) s.t., 18. Jurgen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) s.t., 19. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) s.t., 20. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) s.t.
   Selected: 46. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) s.t., 53. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) s.t., 119. Andy Schleck (LUX/RSH) s.t., 152. Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 58secs
   
   General classification
   1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 13hr 07min 55sec, 2. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) at 01sec, 3. Andriy Grivko (UKR/AST) 2, 4. Carlos Barredo (ESP/RAB) 2, 5. Tony Martin (GER/OPQ) 4, 6. Paul Martens (ER/RAB) same time, 7. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/OPQ) 5, 8. Jerome Coppel (FRA/SAU) 6, 9. Andrey Amador (CRC/MOV) s.t., 10. Richie Porte (AUS/SKY) 7, 11. Rob Ruijgh (NED/VAC) 8, 12. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 9, 13. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) s.t., 14. Bram Tankink (NED/RAB) s.t., 15. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA/LIQ) s.t., 16. Michael Rogers (AUS/SKY) s.t., 17. Juergen Van den Broeck (BEL/LTB) 10, 18. Pieter Weening (NED/GEC) 11, 19. Tony Gallopin (FRA/RSH) 12, 20. Philippe Gilbert (BEL/BMC) s.t.
   Selected: 21. Janez Brajkovic (SLO/AST) 14, 23. Chris Froome (GBR/SKY) 15, 31. Jelle Vanendert (BEL/LTB) 22, 34. Pierre Rolland (FRA/EUC) 26, 36. Juan Jose Cobo (ESP/MOV) 26, 45. Tejay Van Garderen (USA/BMC) 35, 52. Denis Menchov (RUS/KAT) 40, 118. Andy Schleck (LUX/RSH) 5:21, 128. Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ/AST) 6:27