TDF2019: Teunissen top – standings and Yellow Jersey after Stage 2

Dutch team Jumbo-Visma stormed to victory on Stage 2 of the 2019 Tour de France team time-trial. Mike Teunissen retained the yellow jersey after the 27.6km race around Brussels on Sunday.

South African team Dimension Data ended in 14th place on Stage 2, the same spot they currently occupy on the team classification standings.

Teunissen maintained his overnight lead when his team beat Geraint Thomas’ Ineos by an impressive 20 seconds, with the next five teams all grouped within a handful of seconds.

Tour de France 2019: Top ten general classification

Rank	Rider	Team	Times
1	Mike Teunissen	Team Jumbo – Visma	04h 51′ 34”
2	Wout Van Aert	Team Jumbo – Visma	04h 51′ 44”
3	Steven Kruijswijk	Team Jumbo – Visma	04h 51′ 44”
4	Tony Martin	Team Jumbo – Visma	04h 51′ 44”
5	George Bennett	Team Jumbo – Visma	04h 51′ 44”
6	Gianni Moscon	Team Ineos	04h 52′ 04”
7	Egan Bernal	Team Ineos	04h 52′ 04”
8	Geraint Thomas	Team Ineos	04h 52′ 04”
9	Dylan Van Baarle	Team Ineos	04h 52′ 04”
10	Elia Viviani	Deceuninck – Quick – Step	04h 52′ 05”

Ineos were the first group down the ramp on Sunday and set a pulsating time for the others to chase, holding onto their lead until Jumbo, last off the blocks, smashed 20 seconds off the British team’s time just when it appeared that Gianni Moscon would take the yellow jersey.

Instead, Saturday’s surprise winner not only keeps his overnight lead, but moves further clear of his rivals from other teams.

“It was a pretty decent time,” a breathless defending champion Geraint Thomas said at the finish line at the giant Brussels Atomium, built for the 1958 World Fair.

“I was pretty sore hitting the barriers yesterday, so the good news (is) I’m totally fine.”

Those looking for signs this will be an open and competitive Tour de France, will see the minimal time differences between the main contenders as a sign of how tight it is.

The times for the team time-trial are taken from the fourth man crossing the line, while dropped riders take their own time, as with Vuelta a Espana champion Simon Yates, who was left behind with 10km to race.

Also read:

• Tour de France 2019: Route map, stage profiles, dates and distance
• Why Mark Cavendish won’t be riding the 2019 Tour de France
• Yellow Jersey centenary – a unique jersey for every stage

Stage 2 profile

Distance: 27.6km
Profile: Another flat blast around Brussels for the teams.

What happened on Stage 1

Crashes galore. You can read the full report from Stage 1 here.

Rank outsider Mike Teunissen won a chaotic opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday after a collision in the final kilometre blew the bunch sprint wide open in Brussels.

Defending champion Geraint Thomas of Ineos was caught up in that late fall, caused by Teunissen’s teammate sprinter Dylan Groenewegen, but the Welshman said he was unscathed back at his team bus.

Additional reporting by AFP.