Froome, Contador off to good starts

In ferocious winds and thunderous rain, Chris Froome and Alberto Contador used the conditions to their advantage Sunday on the second stage of the Tour de France at Neeltje Jans, Netherlands.

That gave them the early leg up on main rivals Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana.

While it’s too soon for anyone to gain a decisive advantage, British rider Froome and the Spaniard Contador are certainly on the front foot in what is widely touted as a four-way Tour battle.

They’re more than a minute ahead of defending champion Nibali and Quintana after both rivals fell behind when the peloton split up in the heavy winds.

“We knew that in stages like today there might be even more differences made than in the mountains,” said Contador, who is bidding for a third Tour title. “I was speaking to Froome and ( Tejay) Van Garderen and I told them that these are the kind of opportunities you have to take.”

Froome crossed the line in seventh place, one minute and 28 seconds ahead of Nibali and Quintana, while Contador gained 1:24 on those two after placing 13th.

The riders swept along the spectacular Dutch coastline, with Andre Greipel winning a sprint to clinch a seventh Tour stage victory. The German rider trumped an all-star cast featuring three-time defending Tour sprint champion Peter Sagan, four-time world time trial winner Fabian Cancellara and 25-time Tour stage winner Mark Cavendish.

The Tour swings into Belgium today for stage three, a 99-mile route from Anvers to Huy.