VITORIA-GASTEIZ (VG) Cofidis haven’t won a stage in the Tour de France since 2008. Today, small team France finally did it.

Victor Lafay rattled what was left of center court as he broke away with a kilometer to go. In doing so he won the second stage of the Tour de France.

That pissed off one of cycling’s biggest stars:

Jumbo-Visma star Wout van Aert punched the air with a fist when he realized he wasn’t going to win.

– That is cool. Lafay deserved this. He was strong yesterday too, Tobias Halland Johannessen told VG.

He is supported by his own boss, Kurt Asle Arvesen:

– It’s great that smaller teams, with less money at stake, can also win the stage. We fear that Wout (van Aert) will win, and in that way Jumbo today and UAE yesterday. It’s great for cycling that this is happening, he said at the finish area in San Sebastian.

– Inspirational

Arvesen is the sporting director of the Norwegian Uno-X team. He himself has a stage win from the Tour de France. That was in 2008, which was the year Cofidis won the race last time.

– What were the consequences for the French team that “never” won the most important race – in France?

– All credit to Cofidis, who have supported him through the years. The atmosphere on the bus must be great now, Arvesen told VG.

– Is it inspiring to see that they can do it?

– Of course, and we haven’t given up either. We have many chances left. When our people are at their best, and everything is going our way, then we can win, said Arvesen.

Boasson’s fracture

Edvald Boasson Hagen (36) was damaged for most of the stage, but had to drop damaged partner Neilson Powless three miles from the finish.

Two miles from the finish line, Powless was also picked up by the main field of a chase led by the UAE team.

Main field battled for the final bonus seconds of the stage with a duel between overall rivals Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, with the former victor emerging.

Tree with pain

Torstein Træen broke his elbow in the opening stages yesterday. He still made it to the finish line on Sunday. The hope is that the small fracture heals well, and can compete as usual in the second or third week.

– There are lots of speed bumps. I think we drove over a million speed bumps. It’s inconvenient. But other than that, it’s better than yesterday, said Træen after his San Sebastian finish.

– Did you experience severe pain while cycling?

– Yes, I feel excruciating pain when I drive over speed bumps. And quite a lot of pain when I stand on the bike. But I don’t feel any danger. It just hurts.

Træen says he’s had worse days on the bike in the past.

– What do you think about the continuation?

– They said it hurt in the first few days, so it should be fine, said the 27-year-old woman.

Close to Halland

Adam Yates retained the yellow leader’s jersey with a six-second advantage over Pogacar and his twin brother Simon.

Tobias Halland Johannessen is the best Norwegian in 34th place.

– So close that I stuck with the terrain during the final climb, but I rode everything I could. In that case, I regret nothing. “I just missed the last part,” said Halland Johannessen in the finish area in San Sebastian.

– What can you say about the level of this race?

– You know that when Pogacar and Vingegaard fight for bonus seconds, the fight is fast. I’m not surprised. If I had 100-plus meters on my feet today it would be much more fun, because I would have defended, he told VG.

This is Boasson Hagen’s 13th time participating in the Tour de France. No other rider in this year’s edition has completed more stages in a grand race, according to NTB. Sunday’s stage was the 240th of his career.

The man from Rudsbygd has three stage wins in the Tour de France. The last one came in 2017.