Tour de France 2009: Stage 2 preview

• Friday, 19 June 2009
• Andrew McGrath
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Tour de France 2009 stage 2 preview logo

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When Sunday July 5
Where Monaco - Brignoles
How long 187km

IMPACT ON CLASSIFICATIONS
Yellow Jersey: 1/5
Green Jersey: 5/5
Polka-Dot Jersey: 1/5

STAGE DESCRIPTION
The Tour moves west along the Côte d'Azur for its first road stage, before heading inland into the hilly Var region. The smattering of third and fourth category lumps shouldn't unsettle bunch sprinters keen on a first shot at victory in Brignoles, but they will be keenly fought over by riders vying for the polka-dot jersey and the resultant first-week publicity. The bunch will be nervous, so crashes are likely.

STAGE FACTS

• This is Brignoles' first time as a Tour ville étape; when the 2000 Tour finished in nearby Draguignan, Jose Garcia Acosta was the winner.
• Monaco is a principality independent of French rule, so (technically) it can be counted alongside Italy, Spain, Andorra and Switzerland as a fifth foreign country visited in the 2009 Tour.
• The average Tour de France road stage this year is 186.75km in distance, with this stage closest to the mark at 187km.