Sagan’s team-mate and GC contender Alberto Contador suffered another nightmare day, however, crashing onto the same shoulder he injured on stage one and ceding 48 seconds to rivals Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar).

Richie Porte (BMC Racing) also lost time after an ill-timed puncture late in the stage, with the Australian former Team Sky man already now nearly two minutes behind his GC rivals.

The day’s break was four strong when it formed three kilometres into the stage, with King of the Mountains leader Paul Voss (Bora-Argon 18) bidding to earn another day in the polka dot jersey.

Team-mate Cesare Benedetti, Vegard Breen (Fortuneo-Vital Concept) and Stuyven also went clear and it was the Trek-Segafredo who ultimately claimed the climbing honours and a day in the polka dot jersey.

As Contador and several other riders in the peloton crashed, however, and with Cavendish’s Dimension Data team leading the peloton the break began to look more and more dangerous.

A brief flurry in the peloton at the intermediate sprint saw Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) once again take the intermediate sprinting honours – Benedetti having crossed the sprint first from the break.

Cavendish, 24 points behind Sagan, will wear the green jersey on stage two, his time in the yellow jersey now over after he finished 1.49 behind the world champion.

It means a maiden stint in the yellow jersey for Sagan, meanwhile, with an eight-second lead over second-placed Alaphilippe, who pulls on the white jersey.

Tour de France 2016: stage two – result

1) Peter Sagan (SVK) – Tinkoff – 4.20.51hrs
2) Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) – Etixx-QuickStep – ST
3) Alejandro Valverde (ESP) – Movistar
4) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Etixx-QuickStep
5) Michael Matthews (AUS) – Orica-BikeExchange
6) Wilco Kelderman (NED) – LottoNL-Jumbo
7) Tony Gallopin (FRA) – Lotto-Soudal
8) Greg van Avermaet (BEL) – BMC Racing
9) Bauke Mollema (NED) – Trek-Segafredo
10) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky

General classification

1) Peter Sagan (SVK) – Tinkoff – 8.34.42hrs
2) Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) – Etixx-QuickStep +8”
3) Alejandro Valverde (ESP) – Movistar +10”
4) Warren Barguil (FRA) – Giant-Alpecin +14”
5) Chris Froome (GBR) – Team Sky – ST
6) Greg van Avermaet (BEL) – BMC Racing
7) Nairo Quintana (COL) – Movistar
8) Roman Kreuziger (CZE) – Tinkoff
9) Simon Gerrans (AUS) – Orica-BikeExchange
10) Daniel Martin (IRL) – Etixx-QuickStep