Van der Poel Wins Tour de France Stage 2 in Boulogne-sur-Mer Sprint Finish

Mathieu van der Poel won the second stage of the 2025 Tour de France in a thrilling sprint finish against Slovenian Tadej Pogacar and Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Van der Poel's victory allowed him to reclaim the yellow jersey, while his teammate Jasper Philipsen, who had worn the leader's jersey after stage one, finished over 30 seconds behind. The stage featured a large leading group that stayed together until the final sprint, which was decided by a photo finish. The start of the stage was delayed by about 15 minutes due to adverse weather conditions causing logistical challenges, but the competition remained intense. Van der Poel's win marks the second time in his career that he has taken the yellow jersey at the Tour. The uphill finish tested the riders' endurance and added to the excitement of this key early stage in the race.