Tour de France stage 2 LIVE: The race makes it to the Montjuïc circuit with Seixas returning after puncture

1. McNulty (UAX) 2pts
2. Pogačar (UAX) 1pt

2026-07-05T15:03:32.971Z

Adam Yates is bringing Del Toro up after he was poorly positioned rather than lacking the leg.

2026-07-05T15:02:44.230Z

Del Toro nowhere near the front, he seems to not be on a good day.

2026-07-05T15:01:47.053Z

Brandon McNulty is setting this up with Pogačar looking like he might go this time around.

2026-07-05T15:01:03.003Z

Pogačar in 2nd wheel with Evenepoel, Vingegaard, Gregoire, Van der Poel, Pidcock, Carapaz and the rest all moving up as all the sprinters are going backwards.

2026-07-05T15:00:12.721Z

UAE and EF come to the front with Netcompany-Ineos also joining them. All the biggest names are up to the front onto the Montjuïc climb for the first time of three.

2026-07-05T14:58:48.334Z

Onto the circuit go the riders with several teams hammering the pace on the front.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T14:55:24.511Z

And the breakaway has finally been caught by the peloton with 32km to go.

2026-07-05T14:54:42.917Z

Because of that car incident, Seixas is now off the back of the peloton with no cars around him and no teammates with him. He now gets to his team car again.

2026-07-05T14:53:37.351Z

Puncture for Alexandre Delettre (TEN) and the team car stopping almost caused a massive crash in the convoy.

2026-07-05T14:52:03.617Z

The leading duo shook hands and looked to be getting caught but now they have continued on and now have almost 20″ again.

2026-07-05T14:51:20.430Z

Bike change for Seixas and Paret-Peintre and the teammates have each other to ride back into the bunch. They should get back in before the Montjuïc circuit.

2026-07-05T14:50:25.846Z

Seixas now with his team car just off the back of the peloton taking the opportunity to get bottles.

2026-07-05T14:48:19.981Z

Engelhardt and Molenaar are very close to being caught as Seixas is getting his way back in. He may struggle to get his bike back now we’re heading onto the circuit.

Paul Seixas (DCT)

He takes Aurelian Paret-Peintre’s bike but he isn’t comfortable on it at all. He won’t want to stay on that bike but it is very bad timing as there is a lot of stress in the peloton and in the convoy.

2026-07-05T14:44:29.301Z

Mechanical for Olav Kooij (DCT) as Tarling, Abrahamsen and Campenaerts hit the front for their teams.

2026-07-05T14:42:14.645Z

The riders are about to head into Barcelona again and join the circuit.

2026-07-05T14:38:47.471Z

The leaders have actually expanded their gap to almost a minute again with 45km to go.

2026-07-05T14:36:15.171Z

Mechanicals for Michal Kwiatkowski (NCI) and Quinn Simmons (LTK).

The peloton has calmed down a bit now but the GC teams still look very interested at the front with 48″ up to the break now.

Isaac Del Toro (UAX)

The Mexican champion goes onto the same style of Colnago as Pogačar with the stripped paint on the frame.

2026-07-05T14:32:26.562Z

These two are still riding hard with 45″ on the peloton as we are not far away from the finishing circuit.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T14:19:44.302Z

Nils Politt (UAX) has done his job for Pogačar for now and is out of the back, but he may get back in again.

2026-07-05T14:17:52.571Z

Multiple GC teams come to the front of the peloton with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Decathlon-CMA CGM, Visma-Lease a Bike and Uno-X Mobility all fighting to lead the way in the peloton.

2026-07-05T14:15:01.943Z

The race putting out the call for fans to NOT run alongside the riders after someone dressed as a banana did just that on the previous climb…

2026-07-05T14:09:53.879Z

After the climb Van der Broek sat up and has now been caught by the peloton.

1. Molenaar (CJR) 5pts
2. Engelhardt (JAY) 3pts
3. Van den Broek (TPP) 2pts

2026-07-05T14:04:39.503Z

Molenaar goes over the top of the climb and takes the 5 points.

2026-07-05T14:02:33.060Z

Florian Vermeersch leads the way for Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG on the front of the peloton with 75km to go. Inside a minute to the break.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T13:59:57.979Z

Girmay now losing touch with the peloton as well as the sprinters suffer after going all in at the intermediate sprint.

2026-07-05T13:57:32.260Z

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Intermarché) is off the back of the peloton and he is having a very bad day yet again as he continues to have stomach issues. He has been plagued with health issues in the last couple of years with Lyme’s disease and other issues with a bacterial illness taking him out of the Giro.

2026-07-05T13:56:10.786Z

The temperature is apparently up to 38°c on the road.

2026-07-05T13:54:28.295Z

Mechanical for Pablo Castrillo (MOV).

2026-07-05T13:53:44.247Z

UAE Team Emirates-XRG suddenly come to the front en masse. The pace has rocketed with the gap to the break shrinking all the time on the first climb of the day.

2026-07-05T13:52:57.077Z

Onto the 6.1km Côte de Begues, the category 2 climb with the average gradient at 6.5%.

1. Molenaar (CJR) 25pts
2. Engelhardt (JAY) 20pts
3. Van den Broek (TPP) 16pts
4. Girmay (NSN) 14pts
5. Pedersen (LTK) 12pts
6. Philipsen (APT) 10pts
7. Turgis (TEN) 9pts
8. Merlier (SOQ) 8pts
9. Kanter (XAT) 7pts
10. Matthews (JAY) 6pts
11. Wærenskjold (UXM) 5pts
12. Ballerini (XAT) 4pts
13. Vermeersch (UAD) 3pts
14. Stuyven (SOQ) 2pts
15. Wellens (UAX) 1pt

2026-07-05T13:46:30.020Z

Girmay leads in the peloton and takes 14 points ahead of Pedersen. The pure sprinters or Merlier and Philipsen seemed to get a bit stuck in their gears.

2026-07-05T13:45:24.913Z

Molenaar shows he has the pace and wins the intermediate sprint ahead of Engelhardt and Van den Broek. The latter opening up too early and from the front. 25 points go to the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA man who is registered Dutch and was born in Rotterdam but he was raised in Catalunya, so is a local lad.

2026-07-05T13:42:32.205Z

Seixas following Pogačar everywhere, even back from a comfort break…

The peloton led by Pinarello-Q36.5 has closed the gap to the breakaway to 2’44” with just over 10km to go until the intermediate sprint.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T13:26:20.436Z

It is a big day for Ayuso as he races in the white best young riders jersey, something that has now been relinquished by the likes of Pogačar, Evenepoel and Vingegaard. He does go up against the likes of Seixas and Del Toro, though. But can he find the form he showed on the climbs in the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes as well as the early point of Paris-Nice and the Volta ao Algarve?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T13:21:03.476Z

Here is that crash which happened earlier on today…

The break has 3’28” on the peloton.

The break of Engelhardt, Molenaar and Van den Broek have 3’40” on the peloton.

2026-07-05T12:45:08.926Z

Pogačar was the fastest of the riders from the bottom to the top of the Montjuïc climb in yesterday’s TTT giving him the KOM jersey. However, Pidcock was faster in the final 700 metres, which is the steepest part of the climb, averaging over 40kph on the slopes that kick up to around 10%.

2026-07-05T12:39:24.213Z

Veistroffer sits up and has now been caught by the bunch.

2026-07-05T12:39:06.095Z

The temperature is now up to 35°c with Pinarello-Q36.5 deciding that they will take control of the stage as Tom Pidcock looks to take the win today.

2026-07-05T12:37:54.584Z

Jenthe Biermans (COF) back at the doctors car. The medics have had a very busy start to the stage today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T12:36:26.454Z

Veistroffer now at +2’35” on the leaders. He won’t be joining them.

2026-07-05T12:35:44.567Z

Second bike change for Girmay after crashing.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T12:34:20.650Z

The gap yawns open to over three and a half minutes to the three leaders with Veistroffer just under a minute behind them.

2026-07-05T12:33:02.386Z

With Lipowitz being close to the rear of the peloton early on today, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe may be a bit worried as he struggled in the TTT, leaving Remco Evenepoel to kick on alone…

2026-07-05T12:30:09.320Z

No team has come to the front to control things just yet as the gap continues to grow.

2026-07-05T12:26:05.248Z

Some of the big teams now swinging to the side to take comfort breaks as the peloton goes clear.

2026-07-05T12:25:31.591Z

Yet another puncture. It is John Degenkolb (TPP) now.

2026-07-05T12:25:00.456Z

And that is that, the peloton sits up with the leaders getting over a minute. Veistroffer is in the gap at 30″ and will be hoping to join the trio out front.

2026-07-05T12:23:01.443Z

Veistroffer is now in the gap and the peloton looks to have finally eased up.

2026-07-05T12:20:02.743Z

The peloton are trying to calm things down but they can see the break just 17″ up the road and want to bridge as Lotto-Intermarché manage to get a solo rider out of front with the peloton looking happy with that move.

2026-07-05T12:19:03.486Z

Yet another puncture, this time for Damien Howson (PQT).

2026-07-05T12:18:20.468Z

Gate is back at the doctors car after his crash.

2026-07-05T12:17:53.324Z

Counter attacks continue to kick off out of the peloton but they don’t get very far off the front.

2026-07-05T12:16:50.930Z

The three leaders are pushing hard but they only have 12″ on the peloton now.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T12:14:32.759Z

Puncture

Kevin Vauquelin (NCI)

The Frenchman can’t buy any luck at the moment.

Into the final 100 miles and the leaders have just 22″ on the peloton as the fun and games continue behind.

2026-07-05T12:11:53.692Z

More riders launch counter attacks in the peloton as the pace kicks up again to get into the early breakaway.

2026-07-05T12:10:11.664Z

After that crash the peloton eases with the leading trio taking their chance to pull away.

Aaron Gate (XAT)
Silvan Dillier (APT)
Biniam Girmay (NSN)
Robbe Dhondt (TPP)
Kelland O’Brien (JAY)
Anton Charmig (UXM)
Maxim Van Gils (RBH)
Dorian Godon (NCI)

All seem to be getting back up and setting off again.

2026-07-05T12:06:44.714Z

Engelhardt is joined by Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Frank van den Broek (Picnic-PostNL). They have 17″ on the peloton so far.

2026-07-05T12:05:41.209Z

Interesting to see Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) right near the back of the peloton already. The German struggled in the TTT yesterday and looks to be hurting early on here.

Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-AlUla)

The new German champion goes clear and is joined by a Picnic-PostNL rider with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA launching two riders across.

2026-07-05T12:02:57.364Z

The peloton is stretched right out in one long line as the first attack is caught. Veistroffer isn’t giving up, though.

2026-07-05T12:01:36.645Z

Six riders get a gap with another couple coming across as UAE Team Emirates-XRG chasing it down.

Racing begins and it is the breakaway star Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto-Intermarché) leading the first move of the day.

2026-07-05T11:57:34.629Z

Just 1km to the official start.

2026-07-05T11:57:17.956Z

Multiple issues for riders including Seb Berwick (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) who has a front wheel puncture.

2026-07-05T11:47:56.591Z

Just over 5km left of the neutral in Tarragona.

The riders have started the neutral zone with a couple of issues for riders including Ben O’Connor (Jayco-AlUla).

2026-07-05T11:46:56.925Z

Vingegaard went to the presentation today with a familiar sight of the covid mask as he aims to avoid illness.

2026-07-05T11:32:02.208Z

Just 10 minutes until the neutralised start.

2026-07-05T11:29:58.150Z

The temperature is already above 30°c in Tarragona and will get hotter as the day goes on. It is going to be a tough day in the saddle for the riders who will need to manage the amount of liquid and food they take on throughout the day very carefully.

2026-07-05T11:19:45.107Z

Other riders to come down were about half of the XDS-Astana team. Fortunately, none of them have left the race due to this, but a calamitous start to the race.

2026-07-05T11:18:21.969Z

We do have one non-starter to tell you about, Clement Berthet (Groupama-FDJ United) is the first man to leave the race after crashing in yesterday’s TTT.

2026-07-05T11:06:01.765Z

There are absolutely huge crowds in Tarragona for the rider presentation and neutral start today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-07-05T10:58:26.106Z

We remain in Catalunya for stage 2 of the race after a rapid and hot TTT in Barcelona yesterday. Relive the action with our post race report below…

2026-07-05T10:57:13.879Z

Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews’ live updates of stage 2 at the Tour de France 2026!

Rider presentations are well underway in Taragona before today’s start with the neutralised start coming in around 45 minutes time. The day starts simply enough but turns into a nasty finale with three more times up the Montjuïc climb in Barcelona with over 2500m of elevation. See our in-depth preview below for a deeper dive into what the riders will face today…