AG2R's Christophe Riblon won the 70th Tour Of Poland Second Stage
In a race, which remembers the late Pope John Paul II, in its opening two stages and one which rewards those who attack during the day, five riders including Vincenzo Nibal, AG2R's Christophe Riblon, Zdenek Stybar of Omega Pharma Quick Step, Vancansolieil's Tomasz Marczynski and Radio Shack's homas Rohregger, were out front on the 206.5km stage from Marilleva Val di Sole to Passo Pordoi Val di Fassa again in the Italian Dolomites.
Rohregger had led early on but together, they built a lead of 5.45 ahead of a peloton which included Bradley Wiggins who admitted that he could not watch the Tour De France as he so was cut up about not being able to defend it.
Nibali started to struggle on a day where temperatures hit the thirty degrees mark.with 38kms to go. and Argos Shimano's Georg Preidler took the Giro D'Italia winner's place in the front group of five.
Rohregger took the climb over the Passo Costalunga with 32kms to go before the speeds on the descent ramped up to 59km/h.
Onto the Passo Pordoi and the escapers had a lead of 3.10 which had dropped to 2.43 with 14 kilometres to go, as Cannondale's Maciej Paterski led the chase, caught them and then went off the front on his own with 12kms to go.
He was caught by Riblon and Rohregger with 10.6kms remaining. Riblon, who won the Alpe D'Huez stage on the Tour De France, attacked 2.4 kilometres later and soon built a 21 second lead of Rohregger and 2.17 over the peloton.
Riblon, who was 2.07 down at the start of the day, was tearing up the road which was a series of switchbacks to the top of the Passo Pordoi Val di Fassa.
The new French hero, gave his team car driver, a low five, before he cruised to victory in 6.03.40. Rohregger was second 1.01 back ahead of Preidler, Henao and Rafal Majka, who now leads the race by four seconds from Team Sky's Serge Henao and six seconds from Christophe Riblon.
Tomorrow is a transfer day which sees the rider off to Krakow.
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