Contador, Froome in control after hectic second stage

ZEELAND (Netherlands), July 5 

One year after crashing out of the race, Chris Froome and Alberto Contador were back in control of the Tour de France, hurting their main rivals in a hectic second stage won by German Andre Greipel on Sunday.

Crosswinds and crashes caused several splits as the peloton made its way through heavy rain on a 166-kilometre ride from Utrecht, with Froome and Contador ending up in a small leading group that also included American Tejay van Garderen as they finished one minute 27 seconds ahead of the main pack.

In that pack was defending champion Vincenzo Nibali, Colombian Nairo Quintana and France’s Thibaut Pinot, who could only limit the damage after being trapped behind.

Greipel was the fastest in the finishing straight, outsprinting Slovakian Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara, with the Swiss taking the overall leader’s yellow jersey.

Pre-stage favourite Mark Cavendish of Britain could only manage a disappointing fourth place. Briton Froome, the 2013 Tour champion, crashed out of the Tour on the fifth stage last year, while Spain’s Contador, who is attempting a rare Giro d’Italia/Tour double, abandoned his 2014 race after breaking his shinbone in a crash. — Reuters