Amazing underdog Victor Lafay lands Cofidis first Tour de France win for 15 years

Cofidis have ended their Tour de France drought after 15 long years, Victor Lafay outfoxing Wout van Aert, Jumbo-Visma, Tadej Pogačar and Tom Pidcock with a late attack to win the second stage of the race.

Not since Sylvain Chavanel on the 25th July 2008 had the peloton stalwarts won a stage of their home Grand Tour, but Lafay's perfectly timed attack left Van Aert screaming in frustration, his sprint metres short of earning the victory.

Victor Lafay stuns the favourites with a perfect attack in the final km! 🇫🇷🚀

It's Cofidis' first Tour de France stage win since 2008! #TDF2023 #ITVCycling pic.twitter.com/53miAbZQPa

— ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 2, 2023

Lafay, a Giro stage winner in 2021, displayed his potential yesterday, the only rider able to follow Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard on the savage final slopes of stage one's Côte de Pike. The Frenchman would have been added to many spectators' lists for riders to challenge for stage victory later in the race.

Even with yesterday's impressive ride, few would have predicted the win would come just one day later.

Pogačar took the bonus seconds atop the Jaizkibel climb and more on the line for finishing third, the Slovenian moving above Simon Yates into second on GC, six seconds behind teammate Adam Yates who keeps the yellow jersey.

"I just went for it," Lafay said afterwards. "I just went out and did everything I could and just went for it. I did my best, I guess, not really anything else you can do. Yesterday I was a bit frustrated but to do things today and to see that I can compete at this level. That's amazing.

"It was a really high pace today and at times I wasn't feeling great but as we got nearer the end I thought maybe I could make it. I knew there were going to be attacks towards the end, in the end I said to myself 'I should go for it' [...] and it's crazy."

The conventional wisdom pre-stage was the day would be a reduced bunch sprint, the fast men with decent climbing legs able to make it to the finish. In reality, the bunch was reduced to GC favourites and the obligatory Van Aert.

There will be some strong conversations on the Belgian's team bus tonight, the Dutch team managing to squander numerical superiority and control over the finish, Tiesj Benoot unable to close down Lafay's move in time to allow his sprinter to win. The Netflix crew will be licking their lips in anticipation.

Lafay's escapades mean he also moves into the points jersey, at least for tomorrow's opening sprint stage, and is also now fourth on GC. Neilson Powless' breakaway sweeping up of the KOM points keeps him in the polka dots, while Pogačar wears white but has moved closer to yellow with bonus seconds.

In Italy, at Giro d'Italia Donne, Lorena Wiebes sprinted to victory ahead of compatriot Marianne Vos and Chloe Dygert to win the second road stage after Friday's time trial was suspended due to the weather.

Following on from Dutch legend Annemiek van Vleuten's dominant 45-second victory yesterday, the 100th of her career, Wiebes surged to victory in Modena, her eighth of the season.

🇮🇹3️⃣☑️ All good on stage three of the #GiroDonne23, as @AvVleuten remains in pink. Wiebes (SDW) wins in Modena. pic.twitter.com/R1xPkSwxfk

— Movistar Team (@Movistar_Team) July 2, 2023