Tour de France: Gert Steegmans wins stage 2
{{date|July 9, 2007}}
{{Tour de France 2007}}{{missing image|Image:Steegmans.jpg|thumb|left|Gert Steegmans winning stage 3 in the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque in 2006. {{Image source|[[Commons:User:Waechor|Waechor]]}}}}
[[Image:Tom Boonen Tour de France 2007.jpg|left|thumb|Tom Boonen (blue outfit, centre) during the race.{{Image source|[http://www.flickr.com/people/49461391@N00 Lieven Gekiere]}}]]
[[Image:Tour de France 2007 stage 2 escape.jpg|left|thumb|The riders Marcel Sieberg, Ruben Perez and Cédric Herve at the head of the second stage.{{Image source|[http://www.flickr.com/people/49461391@N00 Lieven Gekiere]}}]]

[[Belgium|Belgian]] riders, [[w:Gert Steegmans|Gert Steegmans]] and [[w:Tom Boonen|Tom Boonen]], finished one-two in stage 2 of the [[w:2007 Tour de France|2007 Tour de France]] that ran mostly in their home country.

Starting in [[w:Dunkirk|Dunkirk]], [[France]], and ending in [[w:Ghent|Ghent]], Belgium, the 168.5 [[w:Kilometre|km]] (104.7 [[w:Mile|mile]]) stage is considered a flat stage. The roads were wet with rain today.

"What an explosion of emotion it was after the finish," Steegmans said. "It was really important for the team. You could feel this enormous pressure because we're a Belgian team." Boonen thought that the picture of the photo finish in Ghent was "the most beautiful picture of the year."

Steegmans and Boonen are not only countrymen, but also team-mates on the Belgian-sponsored [[w:Quick Step-Innergetic|Quick Step-Innergetic]] team. Boonen took the green jersey from [[w:Robbie McEwen|Robbie McEwen]], who came in sixth.

There was a large crash with less than 3 km to the finish. A cyclist from the team [[w:Team Milram|Milram]] hit the wheel of Tom Boonen and fell, dragging everyone behind him into his fall. [[Switzerland|Swiss]] rider [[w:Fabian Cancellara|Fabian Cancellara]] was involved in the crash, but maintained the overall lead. The overall consequences were limited: [[w:Tomas Vaitkus|Tomas Vaitkus ]] broke his thumb, [[w:Fred Rodriguez|Fred Rodriguez]] sustained several rib fractures.

After 18 km in the race, [[w:Marcel Sieberg|Marcel Sieberg]] (Milram), [[w:Ruben Perez|Ruben Perez]] ([[w:Euskaltel-Euskadi|Euskaltel]]) and [[w:Cédric Herve|Cédric Herve]] ([[w:Agritubel|Agritubel]]) escaped and took the lead and soon rode five minutes before the peleton, but 3 km before the finish the trio was caught again.

The first ten to arrive in Ghent were:
# Gert Steegmans (in 3h48’22’’)
# Tom Boonen 
# [[w:Filippo Pozzato|Filippo Pozzato]]
# [[w:Robert Hunter|Robert Hunter]]
# [[w:Romain Feillu|Romain Feillu]]
# Robbie McEwen
# [[w:Erik Zabel|Erik Zabel]]
# [[w:Heinrich Haussler|Heinrich Haussler]]
# [[w:Oscar Freire|Oscar Freire]]
# [[w:Sébastien Chavanel|Sébastien Chavanel]]

The overall ranking after the second stage is:
# Fabian Cancellara  8h36’13’’ 
# [[w:Andreas Klöden|Andreas Klöden]]  + 13’’ 
# [[w:David Millar|David Millar]]  + 21’’ 
# [[w:George Hincapie|George Hincapie]]  + 23’’ 
# [[w:Bradley Wiggins|Bradley Wiggins]]  + 23’’ 
# [[w:Vladimir Gusev|Vladimir Gusev]]  + 25’’ 
# Tom Boonen  + 26’’ 
# [[w:Vladimir Karpets|Vladimir Karpets]]  + 26’’ 
# [[w:Thor Hushovd|Thor Hushovd]]  + 29’’ 
# [[w:Alexandre Vinokourov|Alexandre Vinokourov]] + 30’’

==Sources==
{{Translated Wikinews|wiki=fr|language=French|title=Tour de France cycliste 2007 : 2e étape}}
*{{source|url=http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelid=7O1ELG8C
|title=Steegmans doet Boonen groen lachen
|author=
|pub=De Standaard
|date=July 10, 2007
|lang=Dutch}}
*{{source|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2007/news/story?id=2930444
|title=Steegmans leads 1-2 Belgian finish in homeland
|author=AP
|pub=ESPN
|date=July 9, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/6284998.stm
|title=Steegmans too strong for Boonen
|author=James Standley
|pub=BBC Sport
|date=July 9, 2007}}
*{{source|url=http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF09072007_073
|title=Gert Steegmans pakt droomzege in Gent
|author=
|pub=De Standaard
|date=July 9, 2007
|lang=Dutch}}

{{publish}}
{{Archived}}

[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Cycling]]
[[Category:2007 Tour de France]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Belgium]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Switzerland]]
[[Category:Ghent, Belgium]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gert Steegmans wins stage 2}}

[[fr:Tour de France cycliste 2007 : 2e étape]]
[[pl:Gert Steegmans wygrał 2. etap Tour de France 2007]]
Tom Boonen (blue outfit, centre) during the race.
The riders Marcel Sieberg, Ruben Perez and Cédric Herve at the head of the second stage.

Belgian riders, Gert Steegmans and Tom Boonen, finished one-two in stage 2 of the 2007 Tour de France that ran mostly in their home country.

Starting in Dunkirk, France, and ending in Ghent, Belgium, the 168.5 km (104.7 mile) stage is considered a flat stage. The roads were wet with rain today.

"What an explosion of emotion it was after the finish," Steegmans said. "It was really important for the team. You could feel this enormous pressure because we're a Belgian team." Boonen thought that the picture of the photo finish in Ghent was "the most beautiful picture of the year."

Steegmans and Boonen are not only countrymen, but also team-mates on the Belgian-sponsored Quick Step-Innergetic team. Boonen took the green jersey from Robbie McEwen, who came in sixth.

There was a large crash with less than 3 km to the finish. A cyclist from the team Milram hit the wheel of Tom Boonen and fell, dragging everyone behind him into his fall. Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara was involved in the crash, but maintained the overall lead. The overall consequences were limited: Tomas Vaitkus  broke his thumb, Fred Rodriguez sustained several rib fractures.

After 18 km in the race, Marcel Sieberg (Milram), Ruben Perez (Euskaltel) and Cédric Herve (Agritubel) escaped and took the lead and soon rode five minutes before the peleton, but 3 km before the finish the trio was caught again.

The first ten to arrive in Ghent were:
# Gert Steegmans (in 3h48’22’’)
# Tom Boonen 
# Filippo Pozzato
# Robert Hunter
# Romain Feillu
# Robbie McEwen
# Erik Zabel
# Heinrich Haussler
# Oscar Freire
# Sébastien Chavanel

The overall ranking after the second stage is:
# Fabian Cancellara  8h36’13’’ 
# Andreas Klöden  + 13’’ 
# David Millar  + 21’’ 
# George Hincapie  + 23’’ 
# Bradley Wiggins  + 23’’ 
# Vladimir Gusev  + 25’’ 
# Tom Boonen  + 26’’ 
# Vladimir Karpets  + 26’’ 
# Thor Hushovd  + 29’’ 
# Alexandre Vinokourov + 30’’


fr:Tour de France cycliste 2007 : 2e étape
Sports Cycling 2007 Tour de France Europe Belgium France Switzerland Ghent, Belgium