Paris-Nice Stage 2: Vimoury > Cerilly, 200kms
Andrew Talansky tries to straighten his saddle - watched placidly by his Garmin mechanic...
Kris Boeckmans and Gatis Smukulis have escaped after 1.5-kilometres, gained a lead of four minutes - they then proceed to chat away for the next hour..!
The peloton crosses the Loire river at Gien...
Yauheni Hutarovich has plenty of time to chat with his ex-FDJ manager...
Boeckmans and Smukulis haven't changed their position, side-by-side, not even as the peloton approaches their gentile escape...
A new escape has started, involving Astarloza, De Gendt, Feillu and Bouet - they quickly gain four minutes as well...
Michele Albasini makes a quick wheel-change in a rare moment of stress...
"Let's keep it French": Sylvain Chavanel and Nacer Bouhanni are discussing a potential change of race-leadership in the uphill sprint-finish today...
Elia Viviani might be today's winner...
Tejay Van Garderen is just thinking of the overall win...
Jacob Fuglsang needs a big result too...
How about Heinrich Haussler - he's pretty good at uphill sprint-finishes...
Astarloza leads the escape into a strong headwind - they're looking good but waiting for the peloton to catch up, soon please..!
The peloton has started to wake from its long slumber...
Ian Boswell has hit the deck on a section of road made slippery by mud and ight rain...
Yann Huguet has also crashed heavily...
Ruben Plaza has been involved in the same big crash...
Philippe Gilbert has missed the crashes but been delayed by them - he sprints back with amazing speed into the wind..!
Brent Bookwalter looks down at his wounds through some very torn shirt and shorts..!
Michael Matthews races back after another fall on slippery roads...
Bouhanni has crashed out now - the race-leader abandons Paris-Nice..!
Thomas Voeckler hasn't crashed, but he's in need of a strong drink all the same..!
Tom Boonen is earning big brownie points by pacing Omega and Chavanel through the last 20-kilometres...
The uphill charge to the line is led by a big man dressed in all-white...
Marcel Kittel wins stage two from Viviani and Howard..!
Elia Viviani is the new race-leader by seven-seconds...
