Sagan claims yellow jersey after Tour de France 2nd stage win

Peter Sagan of Slovakia riding for Tinkoff celebrates after winning stage two and taking the yellow leader's jersey during a 183km stage from Saint-L to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin of the 2016 Le Tour de France on July 3, 2016 in Cherbourg, France. [Photo/VCG]

BORDEAUX - World champion Peter Sagan topped the Tour de France riders' time sheet after winning the second stage on 4 hours, 20 minutes and 51 seconds at Cherbourg-en-Cotentin on Sunday.

It has been the 26-year-old Slovak's first time in his career to claim a yellow jersey, just one day after Mark Cavendish did so.

As 198 riders took the start in Saint-Lo, Cavendish led the race after his opening stage win on Saturday, but it was Trek-Segafredo's Belgian rider Jasper Stuyven who led almost all the way throughout the 183km stage.

A leading quartet emerged right from the start of the stage and opened up a 5:30 advantage after just 20km before taking that up to almost seven minutes at one point.

The peloton caught Stuyven 500 meters before the line at the uphill finish, however, with Sagan in front and French sensation Julian Alaphilippe at the second place to lead the best young rider competition.

Besides the stage victory and the yellow jersey, Sagan, who has so far five stage victories of the Tour under his name since his debut in 2012, also relieved former leader Cavendish of the green points jersey.

Stuyven took possession of the polkadot King of the Mountains jersey.

Alaphilippe is now second overall to Sagan at eight seconds with Valverde third at 10. Froome is fifth at 14, two places ahead of Quintana, who is on the same time.