Giro d'Italia 2015: Stage 2 Results, Overall Standings and Highlights

Elia Viviani took the win for Team Sky at the second stage of the Giro d'Italia after an exciting sprint finish in Genoa.

The day was plagued by a clutch of minor accidents after a day of crashes and bumps, but the Italian reigned supreme after a long chase by the peloton.

The day ended with a city circuit sprint charge, with the race's Twitter feed capturing the dramatic result:

Here are the Stage 2 results:

Position	Rider/Team	Time
1	Elia Viviani - Team Sky	4:13:18
2	Moreno Hofland - Team LottoNL-Jumbo	TBC
3	André Greipel - Lotto Soudal	TBC
4	Luka Mezgec - Team Giant-Alpecin	TBC
5	Alessandro Petacchi - Southeast Pro Cycling	TBC
6	Giacomo Nizzolo - Trek Factory Racing	TBC
7	Michael Matthews - Orica GreenEdge	TBC
8	Davide Appollonio - Androni Giocattoli	TBC
9	Daniele Colli - Nippo Vini Fantini	TBC
10	Paolo Tiralongo - Astana Pro Team	TBC

BeIN Sports confirmed the overall standings after the second stage finish:

Stage 1 winner Simon Gerrans took the early lead from the roll-out, but he was soon surpassed by an early five-man breakaway, as Marco Frapporti, Lukasz Owsian, Giacomo Berlato, Eugert Zhupa and Bertjan Lindeman sprinted away from the peloton.

The pack remained calm and allowed the five men to build up over a minute's lead, and they continued to sit back as the gap sprung to eight minutes. The pullback finally started at Pratozanino, with Lindeman established as the overall leader after starting the day 45 seconds behind Gerrans.

The race's official Twitter feed highlighted the move:

But at the 40-kilometre point, the teams in the peloton still appeared to not be fully motivated to chase, as the five riders at the front had their own separate battle.

The conditions were perfect for chasing, as the sun shone brightly with no wind, and Team Sky initiated a stronger pace from the pack. Giovanni Visconti found his way through the field as he looked to join the front after being stuck at the back of the race. 

With 73 kilometres to go, the peloton had reduced the gap to almost six minutes, with the stage beginning to look like a true race for the first time. And it was Giant who moved to the front of the pack as they hit the primary climb of the stage.

However, it was Team Giant-Alpecin's Cheng Ji who put the main work in at the front of the pack at the climb, ensuring the pace remained strong enough to challenge. The gap was then cut to four-and-a-half minutes, and the leaders suddenly looked like they would be caught. 

Paulo Duarte/Associated Press

Alberto Contador and Tinkoff-Saxo then showed their intent, working beautifully as a team and leading the charge in the latter parts of the race. However, there was a crash at the end of the climb, with BMC and Bardiani losing team members.

Trek and Giant then took on the pace duties as Contador took a breather, as the riders headed to the city sprint finish in Genoa. With 30 kilometres to go, the split was two minutes, but just five kilometres later, the gap was almost halved.

However, with the chase on, Heinrich Haussler fell, as a series of minor accidents occurred. This prompted Contador to get back to the front to avoid the hustle behind him. Yet another crash saw Nairo Quintana fall, but the leading riders were on their way to being caught.

Owsian and Zhupa broke further clear, as the others failed to resist the peloton, and the excitement levels became palpable. 

And as the group hit the city circuit final stages, it was Tinkoff leading proceedings with Contador looking supreme. VeloNews correspondent Andrew Hood highlighted how the masterful rider had the temperament to stick to his own tactical vision:

But with three kilometres left, Team Sky made their move and looked to attack. Trek also went for the sprint with 1000 metres remaining, and the finish looked set to be a huge scrap.

Team Sky called the action:

In the last seconds, Moreno Hofland took the front, but Viviani placed himself beautifully on his back wheel. And as the riders hit the finish line, it was the Italian who jumped into the lead, raising his arm at the line:

Stage 3 promises to be a fascinating encounter, with Contador and Tinkoff looking in good shape. But the surprise of Stage 2 was Team Sky's patience and tactics, taking a brilliant win at the finish.

The next challenge is a technical climbing stage, with Contador looking as good as he has in recent memory. 

If the legend can keep up this kind of form, no one will be betting against him winning this grand tour event.