to VeloNews.com's Live Coverage of the second stage of the 95th edition of the Tour de France, covering 164.5km from Auray to St. Brieuc.

Heading north from the granite-and-slate cottages of Auray (population 12,000) to the port town of St. Brieuc (population 46,700), this shorter stage will likely see the peloton split by the frequent climbs and crosswinds. The crowds will be thickest on the Cat. 3 'wall' at Mur-de-Bretagne (1.5km at 8.7 percent), 92km into the stage, which could spring a key attack. The tricky run-in to St. Brieuc loops down to the English Channel coast before climbing up into town and features another uphill finish on the Rue Pierre de Coubertin.

Brittany is one of the most exposed parts of France, so today's 30kph winds, from the southwest, are not a surprise, nor are they particularly welcomed by the peloton. Those winds could play a decisive role in today's stage.

Today's stage begins with a 6.6km neutral section before the official start at the edge of Auray. We expect the official start to come right around 1:15. Riders are slowly working their way through the neutral zone.

depending on the speed of the peloton, we can expect the finish somewhere between 4:50 and 5:20 p.m. today.

The last time the Tour finished in St. Brieuc was in 2004, when Filippo Pozzato scored a spectacular win ahead of a small breakaway group that formed on the twisting, roller-coaster streets of the city.

St. Brieuc is famous in French cycling circles for producing the country’s most successful champion Bernard Hinault (five Tour and three Giro titles, a world championship and a dozen major classics) and his namesake (but no relation) the current Credit Agricole sprinter Sebastien Hinault.

The relatively short distance and the rolling terrain make this stage ripe for breakaways, and with the yellow jersey in play (the Tour organizers have decided to forego time bonuses this year) expect a small group to detach itself in the tricky final kilometers. Pozzato (Liquigas) will be seeking a repeat win four years after his breakthrough here, but he’ll have stiff opposition from other explosive finishers like the Germans Gerald Ciolek (Columbia) and Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), or Italy’s Ballan. Of the regular sprinters, Freire, Hushovd, McEwen and Steegmans are the best bets.

It's a cool day in Auray. The peloton is nearing the official start. Many are sporting arm-warmers and many are carrying rain capes in their back pockets. The rain is light right now, but it's possible that it will pick up as the day goes on.

Garmin's Danny Pate is off, just half-a-kilometer into today's stage. He's got company.

is up to eight riders. We're still trying to ID all of them, but we see Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner), Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis), Angel Gomez (Saunier Duval), Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d'Epargne) and Bernhard Eisel (Columbia) in there. There, too, is Jens Voigt from CSC. Not a big surprise there, eh?

You'll notice that we had 179 starters today. Mauricio Soler (Barloworld) did start today, despite the fact that doctors suspect that he might have broken a bone in his wrist. They couldn't reach a definitive diagnosis because of swelling.

Soler suffered a suspected fractured scaphoid in his left wrist and a sprained right wrist in a crash on the chaotic 197.5km first stage.

'He's going to give it a go,' said Barloworld team manager Claudio Corti. 'He'll see how he feels during the race.'

who started the break, is now trailing. About half of the break has been caught. Wegmann, Chavanel and Liquigas's Murilo Fischer are slightly ahead of Pate. Pate is about to be caught.

at 15km Murilo Fischer (Liquigas), Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) and Fabian Wegmann (Gerolsteiner) are the only riders in the lead. We're still trying for a time check.

doesn't look too comfortable out there. Last year's KOM jersey winner looks like he's in pain.

are being chased by the Bouyges Telecom team. The roads are well-paved, but narrow and winding. We still don't have a time gap, but it doesn't take much to get out of sight.

has really put the hammer down and the escapees have been caught. The team drove the case to give Thomas Voeckler a shot at adding to his KOM points tally.

Schroeder - who is tied with Voeckler - tries to attack on the day's first climb. Voeckler reacts, and then Sylvain Chavanel scoots by to take top points. Voeckler takes second, Schroeder faded back and Jerome Pineau takes the last point on this Cat. 4. climb.

Chavanel is trying to stay off the front. He has Voeckler on his wheel, but the two only have a few hundred meters on the field.

Chavanel and Voeckler took the intermediate sprint at Camors, but they didn't contest. The peloton is now at 40 seconds at km 30.5.

1. Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) 6pts
2. Thomas Voeckler (Bouyges Telecom) 4pts
3. Robbie Hunter (Barloworld) 2pts

If Voeckler manages to hold, he has the Cat. 4 Cote de Kergroix ahead at km 43, the Cat 3. Mur-de-Bretagne at 92km and the Cat. 4 Cote de Saint Mayeux at 96. Of course, by just looking at the profile, you can see those aren't the only hills today, but they are the only rated climbs on this hilly stage.

are at 35km and have a 54-second lead over the main field.

is now up to 1:20. The Caisse d'Epargne team of the yellow-clad Valverde is setting tempo at the front.

With 127km remaining, the two leaders are now a full two minutes ahead of the main field. The chase is not nearly as intense as it was when Bouyges Telecom led the peloton in the effort to swoop up the first break today.

Valverde has new brake hoods and bar tape today. He's still riding the same Pinarello with red-and-yellow highlights (for the Spanish champion), but he's now sporting TdF yellow on his bars.

Sylvain Chavanel and Thomas Voeckler are 124km from the finish and have bumped their lead to 2:45.

is in one of the Tour's VIP cars today. That's a good view of the race, probably the best he's had since he retired. He's looking happy to be here.

still has chase duties. The team seems content to allow the break to move ahead. The gap is 3:23 with 121km remaining, and the leaders have crossed the Cat. 4 climb, with Voeckler taking top points.

If you have a question, comment or complaint, go ahead and hit the "Contact our editors" link and send us a note. We'll do our best to answer e-mails and even post a few here today.

with 118km remaining, the two leaders are now four minutes ahead of the peloton.

and the gap is now 4:22. The average speed for the first hour today has been around 44.2kph.

we keep seeing Graham Watson buzzing in and out of the field on the back of his motorcycle today. We look forward to seeing what photos he sends us at the end of the day. If you watch television, you can spot him wearing an old, old school white helmet... and a ton of photo gear around his neck.

Lyle from Nova Scotia writes to say

Thank god for riders like Thomas Voeckler. They help to animate days on stage races like today. People used to talk about Jacky Durand. I think now they should talk about Thomas Voeckler.

We have to agree, Lyle. Voeckler is a feisty little fella and we surely enjoy watching him. His attacking style and epic defense of the yellow jersey in '04 will always keep him on our list of favorites.

Voeckler and Chavanel have bumped their lead to 5:00. We can expect to see some attention paid to the gap if it gets much higher. You know the old rule" A reasonable chase from the peloton will result in the negation of about 1:00 for every 10km, so the Caisse d'Epargne team will stay relaxed for a while still. At some point, the sprinters' teams will undoubtedly move a rider or two up there to lend a hand.

36 riders from four teams got morning wake-up calls from the blood testing crew today. Lampre, CSC, Columbia and Saunier Duval each received visits from testers hoping to take samples today. Everyone got the go ahead and all apparently showed hematocrit levels lower than the 50 percent limit.

One rider, George Hincapie, reportedly has a higher average hematocrit, but if it does normally exceed 50 (and we're not sure that it does in Hincapie's case) riders can get a waiver if they provide adequate documentation to show that those levels are natural.

We are seeing a bit of rain out there right now.

Robert in Redwood writes

Why do you call them 'vampires' when referring to the folks who take blood samples in the morning? It's a sign of disrespect for an important job in sports.

No disrespect intended, Robert. We also support the mission, but you gotta admit that it's an odd ritual that the dopers have forced upon the sport. It's too bad you can't just do a urine-based test for ethics. That would make things easier, eh?

With 89.5km to go, the peloton is keeping our two escapees at around 5:00. It's a sign of how well these things are calculated, with the reliance on radios and GPS.

sprint of the day. Chavanel takes top points, Voeckler second and the man in green, Phillipe Gilbert (FDJ) takes the third points, 4:40 later.

The rain is kicking in and the winds are gusting between 30 and 40kph. Our two leaders are heading toward the Mur de Bretagne.

The Caisse d'Epargne is heading the peloton and the lead has been trimmed to 4:03, with 82km to go.

Reader C. Poole writes to ask

while watching the Versus coverage of the race (and reading the play by play on Velonews), I see the flags that look like black and white versions of the U.S. Flag. What do they represent?

It's the regional flag of Bretagne. You'll see a lot of them out there.

We saw another feedzone crash. Fortunately Nicolas Jalabert (Agritubel) is the only victim and he's up. He was right behind Frank Schleck, who had a bad musette grab and the contents of the bad came flying out. Jalabert hit the deck, but he's chasing back on.

is down to 3:24 as our two leaders approach the base of the first Cat. 3 climb of this Tour.

the crowds are huge as our two leaders - Sylvain Chavanel and Thomas Voeckler - work their way up the climb.

the Mur de Bretagne is only 1.5km in length, but this thing averages 8.7 percent.

takes top points on the climb, with Voeckler taking second. The peloton is now 3:00 behind. The rain has forced Valverde to slip on his rain jacket (also yellow).

Heyyyy... Christophe Moreau grabs third points on top of the climb. We haven't seen him much until now. He crosses the summit 2:55 behind the two leaders.

Jeff E. writes

Speaking of feed zones, what's a typical lunch for a VeloNews online editor covering the Tour? Once the stage is over, is it a local beer or wine with dinner? And do you guys have the time to get in bike rides on some of the stages?

Well, there is usually a nice, nice buffet in the press room. It usually features regional specialties and local wines. We try not to imbibe while on duty, although we do recall walking into the press room during the 1996 Tour and seeing one of our old (now former) colleagues with six bottles of wine sitting by his laptop. And no, that's not why he's a former colleague.

Voeckler takes top points on the Cote Saint Mayeux. He's solidly in charge of the KOM points race and will spend another day in the polka-dot jersey.

Meanwhile Moreau and his teammate David Le Lay are trying to bridge up to the two leaders. The two Agritubel riders are about 30 seconds ahead of the field. Our two leaders are 3:21 ahead of the peloton.

A massive sigh of relief is likely to be heard among the Tour de France sprinters ahead of the race's third stage on Monday.

After two days of rolling over undulating terrain, the fast men of the peloton have more than one reason to make sure the 208km between Saint Malo and Nantes ends in a bunch sprint. The last five kilometers of Monday's ride is over pancake flat terrain, and it will also be one of the few occasions to put their power on display in a first week that the organisers have totally revamped in comparison to past years.

are continuing to chase. The two leaders are now 62km from the finish and 3:37 ahead of the peloton and 1:35 ahead of the two Agritubel chasers.

Voeckler has a flat. He made a complete bike switch and is already back with Chavanel. The rain continues to fall as the two make it through the sprint mark. Remember that the Tour this year is not offering time bonuses at intermediate sprints or at the finish.

Moreau and Le Lay are chasing. They are now just 39 seconds behind the two leaders. The peloton is at 3:08, with 59.5km remaining.

are about to join up with Voeckler and Chavanel. They are 10 seconds back and the two leaders appear to be waiting for them. More horsepower will help. The four-man combo up front has FDJ worried. The team is putting riders up front in the peloton. We may see the pace ramp up for both groups.

There are now four men up front and the pace in the peloton is being set by by Francaise des Jeux and Casie d'Epargne. The gap is 2:58.

the rain is falling and the chase is really picking up. The gap to the four leaders is now down to 2:35.

the front of the peloton is being led by the white jerseys of the FDJ squad and the Caisse d'Epargne team in black.

With 53km to go, the gap is 2:45.

Gert Steegmans (Quick Step) was apparently doing more than getting a massage last night. It looks like the former Tour stage winner was putting the final touches on his contract for next year. He's joining the the Russian Tinkoff team starting next year.

The news of Steegmans' departure will be a further blow to Quick Step, whose aims at the Tour this year, with the absence of Tom Boonen, fall mostly on the big Belgian's shoulders. According to Quick Step team manager Patrick Lefevere, Belgium's top team could not match the offer being made by Tinkoff, which is owned by Russian brewery and finance magnate Oleg Tinkov.

Steegmans won the Tour's second stage in Ghent, in 2007.

to go, the leading four are 2:34 ahead of the peloton. FDJ is still driving the chase.

The four leaders have just passed by one of our favorite vehicles, a beautifully restored Citroen 2CV.

Fans of the classic French car will be pleased to know that Citroen is considering reviving the model in a beautifully updated version. It retains that classic "tin snail" look, but with fuel prices what they are, it may prove to be a bit more attractive than the massive SUVs we see in the U.S. ... especially at the gas pump.

Our favorites, though, were produced in the 1960s. A tiny little engine and unique body style, the 2CV may be a big draw again in these days of high gas prices (about $10/U.S. gallon here in France). The car is something of the "anti-Hummer" and might be a big draw in the U.S., too, eh?

to go, our leaders are now 1:45 ahead of the peloton. Francaise des Jeux is still doing the bulk of the work.

and the gap is 1:36.

With 32.5km to go, our four leaders - Christophe Moreau, David Le Lay, Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel - are working well together, but the FDJ-led peloton is really picking up the pace.

As the leaders hit the 30km mark, the gap is 1:20.

Moreau is setting tempo at the front of the break. The gap is now 1:10.

Meanwhile last year's KOM Mauricio Soler (Barloworld) has been dropped by the main field. He's struggling after yesterday's wrist injury.

has stopped. Quick Step is moving up to lend a hand in the chase. The gap is down to 1:00.

is still doing the bulk of the work in the break. The gap has dropped below a minute.

to go the gap is 58 seconds.

is struggling. He's 2:40 behind the peloton. Add that to the 3:00 he lost yesterday and he's out of the GC picture.

the gap is holding at 55 seconds. The chase duties are being shared by Quick Step, Caisse d'Epargne and FDJ.

Moreau is still driving the break.

is sending riders up now, too. With 11km to go, the gap is 53.

our leading four are now under the 10km-to-go banner. The gap is now 41 seconds. This will be a well-timed catch. You can see Cancellara moving up. This is a good finish for a fella of his talents.

and the gap is 35 seconds.

to go, the peloton is driving hard. The Credit Agricole, Quick Step and FDJ teams are pushing it. The gap is now 30 seconds.

The escapees are working hard to fend this off. The gap is still 30 seconds.

the gap is 25 seconds.

the gap is 23 seconds. Moreau is driving hard on that last hill before the finish. Quick Step is pushing the pace in the peloton.

the gap is 15 seconds.

nearing the top of the hill, Chavanel is trying to go for it on his own. 2km to go, the gap is 20 seconds.

the gap is 12 seconds. Chavanel is the only rider off the front.

1.5 km to go and the gap is six seconds.

Wait. He's caught!

CSC Cancellar is attacking. 1km to go

There is a big, big charge and the winner is Thor Hushovd!

Hushovd takes the stage.

1. Thor Hushovd (N), Credit Agricole
2. Kim Kirchen (Lux), Team Columbia
3. Gerald Ciolek (G), Team Columbia
4. Robbie Hunter (SA) Barloworld
5. Erik Zabel (G), Milram

Despite Kirchen's strong finish, Valverde manages to keep the jersey for another day.

It is nice to see a yellow jersey in the mix in a sprint. He was in there, not to contest the sprint, but fighting to protect the jersey.

Soler, meanwhile, has finished more than seven minutes down, meaning he's lost more than 10 minutes in two days of racing.

thanks for tuning in today. Be sure to check in tomorrow for our Live Coverage of Stage three, a 208km race from St. Malo to Nantes.

We'll be updating the site all day with news, features and photographs from today's stage and previews of tomorrow's. Be sure to check in throughout the day for news from the Tour and other events around the world.