Giro d’Italia Stage 2 LIVE – Individual time trial with Van der Poel in pink

14.35 Affini’s time for the final climb

Robbie McEwan informs us that Edoardo Affini completed the final climb in 2.28 – a good indication of how riders are going from the intermediate time check as they approach the finish line.

14.31 Reminder of the standings

14.30 Halfway through the stage

We’ve reached the halfway mark in the stage with more than half of the 176 riders having already completed their attempt, or currently out on course.

14.27 Kämna wears combativity number

Bora-Hansgrohe’s Lennard Kämna was deemed to be the most aggressive rider on yesterday’s stage, so today he wears the red number denoting the most combative rider. He hits the course for his attempt at the time trial.

14.25 Big crowds in Budapest

On a fine day in the Hungarian capital, the crowd are in fine voice, roaring the riders along the course, with the cobbled climb particularly popular, a sea of pink lining the route.

14.22 Full house for today’s time trial

A full set of 176 riders line up at the start ramp for today’s time trial. Despite a couple of crashes yesterday, no riders dropped out of the race following stage 1.

14.20 Italians winning time trials at the Giro

An Italian rider has won the last four time trials at the Giro d’Italia, so Affini is in good company. That Italian is Filippo Ganna, and he is absent from the race this year, but it’s looking good for his compatriot so far.

14.16 Things you don’t see every day

A local cat has a go on the course ahead of Edoardo Affini. He’s quick but seems a little confused as to which direction he’s heading in.

14.15 Youngest rider out on course

The youngest rider in this year’s race, the 19-year-old Ukrainian Andrii Ponomar of Drone Hopper – Androni Giocattoli, rolls down the ramp for his effort.

14.14 Castroviejo moves into 4th

Despite pushing Affini close, the Grenadiers man does not trouble the time of the Jumbo Visma man, crossing the line in 4th place with a time of 12.21. A solid effort from the veteran Spaniard.

14.11 Castroviejo not far off the pace

Ineos Grenadiers’ domestique Jonathan Castroviejo sets the 5th fastest intermediate time. With just the climb remaining, he will hope to get close to the leading time of Affini.

14.07 Affini takes the lead

Jumbo Visma are having a great day out. The Italian Edoardo Affini sets another new fastest time, smashing the previous fastest time set by Van Emden by another 9 seconds. Van Emden did not spend long in the hot seat. The new fastest time stands at 12.10 and will be tough to beat.

14.04 Hungarian National Champion sets off

Erik Fetter will give everything to represent his national champion’s jersey in front of his home crowd today. The EOLO-Kometa rider is out on course.

14.02 New leader as Van Emden crosses the line

Van Emden takes it – he shaves 4 seconds off of the time of Dowsett, who leaves the hot seat. The time to beat is now 12.19.

14.00 Van Emden sets new fastest split

Jos Van Emden of Jumbo Visma beats Dowsett at the intermediate time check. The former Dutch national champion heads into the final climb hoping to take the lead.

13.58 Dowsett still holding on at the top

40 riders have crossed the line since Dowsett set the fastest time so far, and he’s still sitting in the hot-seat. It’s looking like a good day for the Brit, but with the top GC contenders and time trial specialists still to come, he may not be there for much longer.

13.55 Jumbo Visma’s Affini goes off

Edoardo Affini will be hoping to set a good time today. He’s a brilliant time triallist, one of a number in the Jumbo Visma squad, and he goes off very quickly.

13.52 Thomas de Gendt giving it everything

A strong ride from the Lotto Soudal man, de Gendt completes the course in12.19 to go into 7th position.

13.45 Maestri performs well for EOLO-Kometa

Italian rider Mirco Maestri sets a great time of 12.43 to finish in 8th position. Ramon Sinkeldam immediately sets the same time to go into 9th. The riders are coming in thick and fast.

13.42 Hungarian riders in front of their home crowd

Three Hungarian riders take on the Giro d’Italia this year and have the opportunity to represent their nation on home turf – last year’s stage winner Attila Valter is the big hope for the home fans. He sets off at 16.27 CET (15.27 BST).

13.40 Cavendish sets strong time

Mark Cavendish puts in a big effort to set a time of 12.58. This moves him into 18th position – a solid performance from the former World Champion for QuickStep Alpha-Vinyl.

13.36 Final climb analysis

13.34 Mark Cavendish out on course

The British sprinter is out, along with Jumbo Visma’s Pascal Eenkhoorn and one of yesterday’s breakaway pair from Drone Hopper-Androni Giacattoli, Mattia Bais.

13.32 Three riders on the same time

Currently the top three riders have clocked the same time of 12.23 – BikeExchange Jayco’s Lawson Craddock is the latest to cross the line in a time of 12.23 but he drops to third position, with Alessandro di Marchi in second and Alex Dowsett still holding on at the top.

13.30 Craddock on the final climb

US champion Lawson Craddock looks good as he takes on the final climb. There are a number of corners to navigate along with two cobbled sectors on this climb, so it’s not plain sailing. Thankfully, conditions in Budapest are dry and warm today.

13.29 Brändle misses out on fastest time

After a strong ride, Matthias Brändle sets a time of 12.27 to go into provisional third place in the current standings. Alex Dowsett maintains his first position for now.

13.27 Matthias Brändle attacks his team mate’s time

Israel Premier Tech’s Austrian national champion Brändle attacks the final climb, closing in on his team mate Dowsett’s current fastest time.

13.24 QuickStep Leadout men take off

Two key men for Mark Cavendish’s hopes of a stage win are Bert van Lerberghe and Michael Mørkøv. They depart in consecutive positions, 23rd and 24th respectively.

13.21 KOM Points on offer

With the final climb a being categorised ascent, it carries points for the maglia azzurra. Riders who fancy their chances in the King of the Mountains competition may go easy in the early stages of the ride to ensure they put in a strong climb, to try and claim a few extra points in the contest for the blue jersey.

13.19 Tratnik rides one-handed

Footage from the course of Jan Tratnik, who is riding one-handed to protect his injured wrist. The injury was sustained yesterday in a crash late on in the stage.

13.17 Matthias Brändle next big contender

Dowsett’s team mate Matthias Brändle is the current Austrian time trial champion. He could challenge Dowsett’s time today.

13.16 Alex Dowsett catches his minute man

Alex Dowsett of Israel Premier-Tech catches and passes his minute man, Samuele Zoccarato, and sets a new fastest time of 12.23. This one may stand for a while.

13.14 Riders tackle the final cobbled climb

The steep cobbles present the biggest challenge for the riders. Turning off the cobbles, the gradient lessens gradually towards the finish line.

13.12 First finishers cross the line

Harm Vanhoucke of Lotto Soudal will be first to cross the line. He ascends the cobbles that line the finishing stretch and sets the mark at 12.48.

13.10 Home support for Peák

Fantastic support for Hungarian Barnabás Peák, the local rider from Intermarche Wanty-Gobert, who is the tenth rider out on course.

13.08 Robbie McEwan gives his prediction for the stage

13.06 Alex Dowsett out on course

The British time trial specialist and former hour record holder is setting his sights on a good time today.

13.03 General Classification as it stands

Following yesterday’s explosive finish, the general classification currently looks like this, with Mathieu van der Poel at the top of the pile and Eritrean Biniam Girmay in second place. He will wear the white jersey today.

13.00 Stage 2 is underway

Harm Vanhoucke begins Stage 2 of the Giro d’Italia. Second up is Slovenian Jan Tratnik of Bahrain Victorious, who was also injured in a crash yesterday. He rides with his wrist heavily strapped.

12.58 First rider due off in 2 minutes

The stage gets underway at 1.00 BST (2.00 CET) – the first rider off the ramp will be Lotto Soudal’s Harm Vanhoucke, who finished in last position yesterday following a crash.

12.55 Short, technical course will challenge the riders

12. 45 Stage 2 Individual Time Trial gets underway shortly

Day two context

After what was a largely flat 195km route on Stage 1 from the capital to Visegrad, Stage 2 sees the riders negotiate a very short and sharp 9.2km individual time trial around Budapest.

With the GC favourites easing themselves in for what will be three gruelling weeks, it is now time for the fast and furious individual time trial which could seriously shake things up.

Recap from Stage 1

If the whole world expected it, Mathieu van der Poel still (Alpecin-Fenix) had to deliver the goods. The 27-year-old Dutchman did just that – keeping his powder dry right to the bitter end of the deciding climb to surge past Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay of Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert in the 195km opening stage of the Giro from Budapest to Visegrad in Hungary.

As Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) dug deep to stay in contact, the Australian sprinter touched wheels with Girmay and hit the deck just ahead of the line – allowing Spain’s Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) to take third place ahead of Denmark’s Magnus Cort (EF Education-EastPost).

Girmay, the Eritrean trailblazer who became the first African to win a cobbled classic earlier this spring, looked destined to write another glorious chapter in his remarkable rise. But the 22-year-old was just caught by Van der Poel, who timed his final kick to perfection to take the race’s first maglia rosa – on a ramped finish quite similar to that at Mur de Bretagne where he secured a maiden maillot jaune at last year’s Tour de France.

“I knew positioning was going to be the key to the win today,” Van der Poel said after his latest triumph of what is provinf to be another stellar season. “It was quite difficult at times and I found myself boxed in and I had to use up a lot of energy to catch up with the guys in front. My legs were full of lactic at the end and it really hurt – but it’s incredible after the yellow jersey to wear the pink.”

WHEN IS STAGE 2?

STAGE 2 PROFILE AND ROUTE MAP

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