Auray, France - The second stage of the 2008 Tour de France got under way Sunday with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde wearing the race leader's yellow jersey. The course covers 164.5 km, from Auray on the southern coast of Brittany to the port of Saint-Brieuc on the region's northern shore, and features three modest climbs and a hill called the Wall of Brittany, a 2-km climb at an average slope of nearly 9 per cent.
The final kilometre, up a slight slope, could again suit a rider like Valverde, who used his explosive speed to take Sunday's first stage.
The 28-year-old rider for the Caisse d'Epargne team has a 1-second lead over 12 other riders, including another favourite for the Tour title, Australian Cadel Evans.
