Tour De Suisse 2016: Stage 2 Results, General Classification and Highlights

Tinkoff's Peter Sagan won a thrilling late sprint on the gruelling 187.6-km circuit at Baar to win Stage 2 on a rain-soaked Sunday at the 2016 Tour de Suisse. 

Sagan edged out Orica-GreenEdge's Michael Matthews and Etixx's Ariel Richeze for his 12th stage win on this tour.

It was also a day when the overall leader changed, as Lotto-Soudal's Jurgen Roelandts overtook Trek–Segafredo's Fabian Cancellara to take the yellow jersey.

Here's a look at the stage results and the overall standings, per Liveciclismo:

Here's what the general classification looks like, according to LWOSCycling:

There was a shake-up to the GC early on when Dutchman Robert Gesink had to withdraw after a nasty crash. Citing reports in the Dutch press, Cyclingnieuws offered an update on the LottoNL-Jumbo rider's condition:

Team RothGruppe rider Matthias Krizek claimed the mountain jersey for Monday and was also part of the late breakaway that established itself during the final lap. Yet Krizek's group enjoyed only a slender advantage, per the race's official site:

That gap was closing all the time, soon down to 45 seconds over the final 40 km, as Team Sky, among others, made its move to chase the breakaway down. Lotto-Jumbo and Astana were also featuring heavily in the chase on the slick roads.

It was clear the chasing pack was readying a late attack, with sprinters fancying their chances of being able to separate from the bunch. As the tension ramped, cycling journalist Guy VD Langenbergh offered his own prediction for the winner:

Soon, the breakaway was finally absorbed back into the pack as the race went into the final 35 km. It was the perfect time for an attack, and Lotto–Soudal's Jelle Vanendert, FDJ's Kevin Reza and BMC Racing Team's Philippe Gilbert obliged. Yet, it was CCC rider Branislau Samoilau who edged in front.

There were problems a little further back for Colombian Fernando Gaviria, who experienced a crash and had to change out his bike to try to keep pace. By the time he was back in the mix, Samoilau had been brought back.

Now it was Lotto Soudal's turn at the head of the Peloton, with Roelandts pushing for the overall race lead, after another crash had disrupted the bunch, per Peloton Watch:

With a double finish looming, Roelandts and Stage 1 winner Cancellara battled it out for the yellow jersey, while the rest of the riders focused on the sprint for the final 12 km that would determine who took this stage.

Team Trek-Segafredo detailed how slender Cancellara's lead in the GC was looking inside the final 20 km:

But Cancellara snatched three vital seconds when he took the intermediate sprint ahead of Roelandts. The bonus seconds seemed to assure Cancellara kept the yellow jersey for the day.

As for the stage, Sagan was pushing for the win, as Gaviria also made a late burst forward. Matthews also made his move and insinuated himself into the lead.

His team led the peloton with a five-rider bunch, four of whom worked to set Matthews up for a decisive sprint to the finish. Matthews, Gaviria and Sagan were to the fore as the race hit its final kilometre.

Eventually, it was Sagan's 11th-hour burst from the left-hand side that proved decisive, as he edged out Matthews and Gaviria's teammate Richeze.

Tinkoff showed their decorated rider on the podium after his record triumph:

Roelandts' attempt to win the stage actually helped him wipe out Cancellara's one-second lead in the overall standings and overcome his earlier sprint loss.

Sagan's win endorsed his quality as a sprinter. Given how the next stages lend themselves well to sprints, the world champion will take some beating.