As the race is heading to the South on a flat stage, the westerly (cross)winds created a very tough day for the riders and the peloton split early.
Marcel Kittel, John Degenkolb and Andre Greipel were well positioned in the small front group with Bernal,Rowe and the driving force of Visma-Jumbo and AG2R riders. Kwiato, Nils Politt, Ilnur Zkarin and Marco Haller were in the 2nd group, which was almost a minute behind the front group some 25 km before the finish.
However, they made it back to front with 10k to go and as soon as Kwiato was back, Team SKY began to attack in the strong crosswinds, which resulted in another decisive split of the front group.
Rowe, Bernal, Kwiato, Garcia, Trentin, Sanchez, Gilbert and Groenewegen could make it up front, Kwiato and Gilbert taking no turns in the crosswind echelon.
The sprint was won again by Groenwegen close in front of the amazing Ivan Garcia (Team Bahrain-Merida). What a stage.
Stage 2 results (average speed today 51,2km/h)!!!!

1 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 3:14:04
2 Ivan Garcia (Spa) Bahrain-Merida
3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott
5 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
6 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team
7 Egan Bernal (Col) Team Sky
8 Arnaud Demare (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:05
9 André Greipel (Ger) Arkéa Samsic
10 Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma

General classification after stage 2

1 Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team Jumbo-Visma 6:31:19
2 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky 0:00:12
3 Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team 0:00:13
4 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:00:16
5 Egan Bernal (Col) Team Sky 0:00:19
6 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Mitchelton-Scott 0:00:20
7 Tony Gallopin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:22
8 Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:00:23
9 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:23
10 Oliver Naesen (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:24

Bellegarde, Monday, March 11th 2019
Dylan Groenewegen beat the wind, echelons, crashes and his rivals to snatch his second stage win in succession in Paris-Nice and strengthen his leader’s yellow jersey in Bellegarde. The Dutchman managed to stay in the last group of seven riders left to battle it out for victory after a fast and hard stage that gradually depleted the peloton to overpower Spain’s Ivan Garcia and Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert on the line. The day, swept by crosswinds, was merciless for France’s Warren Barguil and Spain’s Gorka Izagirre, third a year ago, both forced out of the race after a crash.
DNF Gorka Izagirre Insausti (Spa) Astana Pro Team
DNF Warren Barguil (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkéa Samsic
DNF Rigoberto Uran (Col) EF Education First
DNF Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data
DNF Louis Meintjes (RSA) Dimension Data