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Already missing riders, Tour de France tackles tough Stage 2
NICE – Already missing riders injured in crashes on the first day, the Tour de France is for the first time in its history heading directly into high mountains on Sunday's Stage 2, an exceptionally early gauge of top contenders' readiness to compete for the overall win.Sunday's route looping north of the Mediterranean city of Nice has two climbs to 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) and higher that will test the fitness of riders whose preparations this year were thrown upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. The Belgian team Lotto Soudal is already reduced to six riders, after losing former world champion Philippe Gilbert and John Degenkolb to knee injuries in Saturday's crash-marred Stage 1.