Gemrany's Marcel Kittel (ARG) wins the 200.5-kms second stage of Paris-Nice between Vimory and Cerilly.

And two FDJ riders lead the way!

Argos Shimano and FDJ now near the front to work for Kittel and Soupe or Bonnet.

Austria's Stephan Denifl (IAM) tries his luck with 3 kms to go.

The team-mates of Elia Viviani now take control of the peloton (4 kms to go).

A very untimely puncture for Simon Gerrans with 5 kms to go.

... and teams are fighting their way towards the front. Omega Pharma Quick Step still lead the way but Lotto Belisol and Orica Greenedge are getting closer.

Tom Boonen and his team-mates raise the tempo at the front of the peloton.

Thanks to his win in the intermediate sprint in Cerillly, Elia Viviani (CAN) is now the virtual leader of Paris-Nice with a one-second lead over Sylvain Chavanel.

Cerilly was the start of a stage to Belleville in 2006, won by Tom Boonen.

Result of the second intermediate sprint in Cerilly (km 182):

1. Elia Viviani (CAN) 3 points 3 secs

2. Sylvain Chavanel (OPQ) 2 points 2 secs

3. Ruben Perez Moreno (EUS) 1 point 1 sec

The last yellow jersey forced out of Paris-Nice after a crash is apparently Frenchman Pascal Lance in 1990. But in 2003, Italian Dario Frigo did not start as he was leading the race.   

The race doctor told France Televisions: "Nacer has a deep wound in the lip and a hand trauma. He's staying with us until the end of the stage and then going to hospital for further checks." 

Tom Boonen is still opening the road with 25 kms to go with Garmins Sharp and Katusha riders by his side.

The finale is a spectacular one with a long 4-kms straight line into Cerilly, lined by the trees of the Troncay forest.

David Millar (GRS) has been riding at the front for a while.

Belgian champion Tom Boonen (OPQ) is now leading the peloton, obviously keen to avoid his mishap yesterday when he was caught in the echelon.

After the junction, the Argos Shimano team-mates of Marcel Kittel have seized the reins of the peloton.

... and the gap is now down to 15 seconds. The four call it a day at km 156.

Less than 50 kms to go and the gap between the four escapees and the peloton is down to 35 seconds.

Bouhanni is going to be evacuated on a stretcher. His Paris-Nice is over, only 24 hours after his brilliant stage win in Nemours.

The Paris-Nice leader is being treated by the race doctors on the road side in the village of Blet. It seems he broke teeth.

Km 143 - Yellow Jersey holder Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) slid and crashed. He hit the pavement and has blood pouring from his face.

... and the four escapees lead the peloton by exactly one minute.

One by one, most of the riders involved in the crash make it back in the peloton, like France's Damien Gaudin, the prologue winner and currently second in the GC.

... an the gap has gone down to 50 seconds.

The three BMC riders held by the crash were Amael Moinard, Mathias Frank and Brent Bokwalter.

Involved in the pile-up, Alexandre Pichot (EUC) has given up.

Geoffrey Soupe (FDJ), one of Nacer Bouanni's lead-out men, was also involved in the crash.

Km 125 - A major pile up took place in the bunch, involving several riders like Ian Boswell (SKY), Alexandre Pichot (EUC), prologue winner Damien Gaudin (EUC) and a few BMC riders.

As hail starts falling on the peloton Kasntanstin Siutsov (SKY) crashed as weel as Yann Huguet (ARG)

Km 123 - De Gendt, Feillu, Astarloza and Bouet now lead the peloton by 1:50.

A slight drizzle is now falling on the race.

While admitting the break had very slim chances to go all the way, AG2R team director Vincent Lavenu told www.letour.fr that Maxime Bouet had a point to make after puncturing in the finale of stage 1: "There was headwind all day. That's why we have been riding so slow. In the same time, the sprinters have a strong interest in this stage while the favorites cannot afford to let De Gendt go as he could be a threat for the GC. The only chance for Maxime is for the Vacansoleil to really go for...

Apart from De Gendt, familiar to Paris-Nice fans, the three other riders are also seasoned pros. Feillu twice won the Grand Prix de Fourmies and is well known to the French public for holding the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France in 2008. Mikel Astarloza, at 33, is a very experienced rider, who finished 9th in the 2007 Tour de France and won the Tour Down Under back in 2003. As for Maxime Bouet, he is one of the most consistent riders in the AG2R team, with six wins in his career.   

Km 96 - In the feeding zone, the peloton lies four minutes behind the four escapees.

The overall average speed after three hours in the stage is 30.6 kph.

Thomas de Gendt (VCD) is the best placed overall of the four men in the break. He is currently 22nd, seven seconds behind Nacer Bouhanni.

Jacob Rathe (GRS) has given up from a wrist injury after his crash yesterday.

Km 84: Romain Feillu (VCD), Thomas De Gendt (VCD), Maxime Bouet (ALT) and Mikel Astarloza (EUS) lead the peloton by 3:45.

Km 76: The four lead the peloton by 4:05

BMC team director Yvon Ledanois told www.letour.fr about Philippe Gilbert's condition and the chances of an echelon to form near the finish in Cerilly: "There was not really an echelon yesterday. Just a split in which several teams were involved. But there was no real decision to create an echelon. Philippe Gilbert said this morning he was hoping for some wind because that's the conditions the Belgians love. He is in good condition and everybody knows what he's capable of doing in a finale....

Thomas De Gendt (VCD) is a Paris-Nice specialist, winner of a stage in each of the last two editions.

Km 66 - Feillu, De Gendt, Bouet and Astarloza are now together in the lead.

KM 64 - Thomas De Gendt and Romain Feillu (both Vacansoleil) have surged. Thay are being chased by Mikel Astarloza (EUS) and Maxime Bouet (ALT), some 15 seconds behind. The peloton is 1:30 seconds adrift.

Argos Shimano team director Christian Guiberteau told ww.letour.fr how disappointed Marcel Kittel had been by the outcome of stage 1 but promised the German sprinter was still confident in case of a bunch sprint: "He was especially disappointed to puncture  yesterday as he had not been caught in the echelon and the finish suited him better than today's. On the flat, with his tall build, he develops extraordinary power. As soon as there's a bit of a slope, slighter sprinters have an edge....

The average speed in the second hour of the stage was 26.7 kph and the overall average speed was 29.6 kph.

Smukulis and Christensen were reeled in after 43 kms.

Km 42 - The chasing peloton is now only 20 seconds behind the two escapees.

Km 40 - The lead of Smukulis and Christensen over the peloton has gone down to 1:35. The break does not look much more motivated than the chase.

Km 37 - The two escapees lead the peloton by 2:45.

The average speed after an hour in the stage is 32.6 kph.

Nacer Bouhanni also holds the best young rider's white jersey, but it his worn by Elia Viviani on stage 2, the Italian standing one second behind him in the overall classification. Bouhanni's team-mate Geoffrey Soupe is third, two seconds adrift.

With only two of them in the front against the wind, Smukulis and Christensen are not really speeding at the front. 

Narce Bouhanni's FDJ team-mates are leading the peloton at a steady pace.

Vacansoleil team director Hilaire Van der Schueren told www.letour.fr why Boeckmans had given up on the breakaway: "We were hoping for a ten-man break but there are only three of them. There's a lot of wind so we decided it was better for him to save strength for the finis as he is a good sprinter."
In any case, the Vacansoleil team have won all the intermediate sprints held in this edition so far.

Km 24 - The two are leading the bunch by 3:35.

Km 17 - Kris Boeckmans (VCD) was dropped by his breakaway companions and caught by the main bunch.

The peloton was 4:05 behind at the sprint.

Result of the first intermediate sprint in Les Choux (Km 15.5)
1. Boeckmans 3 points, 3 secs
2. Smukulis 2 points, 2 secs
3. Christensen 1 point, 1 sec

Mads Christensen, 28, started his career on track with several national titles before turning pro in 2006. A good time-trialist, he was also crowned best climber in the Tour of the Basque Country last year.

Under-23 European champion in 2009, Kris Boeckmans turned pro in 2010. He was second in the Memorial Samyn last week.

Km 7 - The three escapees lead the peloton by 3:20.

Gatis Smukulis, the double Latvian time trial champion, has been in aggressive form since the start of the season. Winner of a Tour of Catalunya stage in 2011, he was involved in several breaks in Qatar and Oman.

Latvia's Gatis Smukulis (KAT), Belgium's Kris Boeckmans (VCD) and Dane Mads Christensen (TST) broke clear (Km 1)

PHILIPPE GILBERT ‏@PhilippeGilbert
And we leave the hotel for the second stage of Paris Nice! Here is no wind, perhaps later on! Lets hope so.

ELIA VIVIANI ‏@eliaviviani
‪#ParisNice‬ stage 2…another sprint. Will try again.

In l'Equipe, Yoann Offredo (FDJ) tells how he did his part of the teamwork to help Nacer Bouhanni win the stage by taking the reins when he echelon took shape in the finale.
"As soon as we learnt that Boonen and Kittel were no longer there, we had to move on. They were lying at the back, God knows why, when the BMC went up a gear after a corner. In my opinion, they didn't expect the peloton to split. I went full gas in the last 12 kms until the final three," he said.
Then it was up...

Dutchman Bert-Jan Lindeman (VCD) took advantage of being part of Monday's three-man breakaway to cunningly grab the polka-dot jersey in the only climb of the race so far. He leads his two fellow-escapees, Yannick Talabardon (SOJ) and Romain Sicard (EUS) in the best climber's classification. If he reaches Cerillly, the Lindeman will retain his lead as there are no climbs in today's stage.

The actual start was given to 180 riders at 11:13.

Sylvain Chavanel (OPQ) holds de green jersey thanks to his great finale in Nemours. But he only leads up and coming Italian Elia Viviani by one point and the fast Cannondale sprinter will be a major threat in case of another sprint finish today. Bouhanni is in the third spot, five points behind Chavanel and could also take the garment if he features well in a bunch sprint.

Km 15.5 - Les Choux
Km 182.5 - Cerilly

National champion Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) leads a French trio in the general classification. Prologue winner Damien Gaudin (EUC) is second, fractions of a second behind (0.18)  while Sylvain Chavanel (OPQ) lies third, a second adrift.

180 riders have taken off towards the real start. Seeldraeyers, the best young rider in the 2009 Paris-Nice, is the only non starter.

Team Astana announced that Kevin Seeldraeyers would not start after his crash in stage 1.

Seeldraeyers abandons ‪#ParisNice‬ after ST1 crash "...very deep hole in my left knee that needs stitches. I will be off the bike for 8 days"

Welcome to the 200.5-kms second stage of Paris-Nice between Vimory and Cerilly.