Tour of Beijing Stage 2: Chongli > Yanquing, 101kms

Podium.jpg

The Ag2R team look thoughtful as they await a decision on the smog and rain predicted for today...

ucibeijingag2r

Podium.jpg

Adriano Baffi explains to the Trek team what the official decision is - a shortened stage finishing atop the last climb...

ucibeijingbaffitrek

Podium.jpg

The BMC team are all ears as they realise the change makes it better for them...

ucibeijingbmctactics

Podium.jpg

Thomas Dekker emerges from the hotel lobby complete with a breathing mask, a home-made one..!

ucibeijinggarmin

Podium.jpg

Laurent Mangel leads the day's only escape as the rain stops and the roads dry out...

ucibeijingfdj

Podium.jpg

For a tough Russian, Ivan Rovny looks to have overreacted to the cold weather...

ucibeijingtinkoffcold

Podium.jpg

Rigoberto Uran looks to have gone soft too, or is he just playing hide n' seek..?!

ucibeijingomega

Podium.jpg

The uphill finish might just suit Simon Yates today...

ucibeijinggreen edge

The uphill finish might just suit Dan Martin as well..!

Podium.jpg

Sam Bewley chases for Orica-Green Edge with the gap barely at two-minutes...

ucibeijinggreen edge

Podium.jpg

Yannick Elijssen chases for BMC - that escape has no chance of staying away today..!

ucibeijingbmc

Podium.jpg

Fabio Silvetsre leads the escape towards the first climb with about 90-seconds in hand over the chasers...

ucibeijingtrek

Podium.jpg

The peloton climbs the longest hill of the day, before the hardest hill of the day...

ucibeijingscenery

Podium.jpg

Ben Swift is on bottle duty today, his famous sprint not of much use on the uphill finish...

ucibeijingsky

Podium.jpg

A Chinese worker watches the peloton speed by, as does his hard-working donkey...

ucibeijingscenery

Podium.jpg

Philippe Gilbert wins a shortened stage two ahead of Van Rensburg and Rui Costa..!

ucibeijingbmc

Podium.jpg

Esteban Chaves unpacks his training shoes to begin the processional ride to the finish...

ucibeijinggreen edge

Podium.jpg

The cyclists stay behind a pace-car for the three-kilometre ride into Yanquing...

ucibeijing

Gilbert just cannot stop celebrating it seems..!

Podium.jpg

And again on the finish-line, Philippe Gilbert has won stage two of the 2014 Tour of Beijing..!

ucibeijingbmc

DSC_8899.JPG

And Philippe Gilbert is also the new race-leader..!

ucibeijingbmc