Gert Steegmans won the second
stage of the Tour de France in his home country Monday, with many riders left
cut and bruised following a crash minutes before the finish.
Gert Steegmans of Belgium reacts
after crossing the finish line to win the second stage of the 94th Tour de
France cycling race between Dunkirk, France, and Ghent, Belgium, Monday,
July 9, 2007. [AP]
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This was Steegmans' first stage victory at the Tour. Belgian teammate Tom
Boonen was second and Filippo Pozzato of Italy was third in the 105-mile ride
from Dunkirk, France, to Ghent.
Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara kept the race leader's yellow jersey for a
third day despite crashing with about 1.2 miles left, gingerly crossing the
finish line. Andreas Kloeden of Germany is second overall and David Millar of
Britain is third.
The crash caused a bottleneck for most of the pack. Steegmans led a group of
about 20 riders that was unaffected.