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.
Read also: results/race report 2nd stage 2017 Vuelta.
Vuelta 2017 stage 2: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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Wind speed and -directions
Scheduled times 2nd stage
Nimes and Gruisan at Google Maps
Streetviww Gruissan
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