PARIS — Denmark’s Anthon Charmig broke clear on the final climb of the long second stage of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes to claim the biggest win of his career.
The 28-year-old was part of a 10-man breakaway on the hilly 234km stage from Saint-Martin-Le-Vinoux to Le Puy-en-Velay.
But as the breakaway companions attacked each other in the final 50km, Charmig timed his move to perfection, just before the last of five summits, and he soloed to victory.
Frenchman Alex Baudin, who won the mountainous opening stage, kept the overall leader’s yellow jersey as he came home in the peloton just over three minutes back.
Frenchman Henri-Francois Renard-Haquin won a four-man sprint for second 41 seconds behind the winner, with Belgian Vlad van Mechelen taking third, AFP reported.
The overall contenders, including French teenage prodigy Paul Seixas, the pre-race favourite, finished safely in the peloton ahead of Tuesday’s crucial team time-trial.
The race started to sizzle just before the penultimate climb of the day, the 4.2km-long Cote des Baraques, with Frenchmen Clement Braz Afonso and Baptiste Veistroffer attacking and going clear 47km from the finish line.
Braz Afonso of Groupama-FDJ United dropped his compatriot but was then joined by Spaniard Raul Garcia Pierna and Van Mechelen of Bahrain Victorious on the ensuing descent.
Another four riders, including Veistroffer, rejoined the trio before the shorter, steeper final climb of the race, the Cote de Saint-Vidal.
Uno-X Mobility’s Charmig crested that with a few seconds advantage over Braz Afonso and Movistar’s Garcia Pierna with 12km to ride.
Despite being outgunned two-to-one, Charmig steadily increased his lead to 30 seconds with 4km left.
Two chasers became four as they were joined by Van Mechelen and Renard-Haquin, but they could make no inroads on the leading Dane, whose only previous professional victory was a stage at the Tour of Oman in 2022.
