Vuelta 2017 Route stage 2: Nîmes

Vuelta 2017 Route stage 2: Nîmes - Gruissan (fra)

Sunday, 20 August 2017 - At 203.4 kilometres, the route of stage 2 in the Vuelta a España leads from Nîmes to Gruissan. So that's yet another French affair. Chances are the race will come down to a bunch sprint as the route is extremely flat. Yet, strong winds are expected, so echelons could play a role, too.

As the crow flies Nîmes and Gruissan are 150 kilometres apart. The route runs parallel on the coast of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, so strong winds could play a role. Last year, stage 11 of the Tour de France finished in this area after a race that was marked by echelons. Eventually Peter Sagan took the win after a late attack with Chris Froome. If strong winds stay away, there would really be only one option – a bunch sprint. Yet, they don’t…

Weather forecast: Beaufort force 4 is predicted. Echelons could play a role, especially in the section from kilometer 100 to kilometre 170.

Arrival place Gruissan is a picturesque fishing village on the shores of Étang du Gruissan and close to the Mediterranean Sea. The line is at the end of a slightly descending (1%) last kilometre.

The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint (at kilometre 174.7) comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.