Italy's Vincenzo Nibali has won the second stage of the Tour de France and wrested the race leader's yellow jersey as several race favourites led a late breakaway.

The Astana rider led the bunch at the end of Sunday's 201-kilometre (125-mile) ride over nine rolling hills and through the heath of Yorkshire, England.

Marcel Kittel, a powerful sprinter who often struggles in climbs, trailed far behind and lost the yellow jersey that he had captured by winning Stage 1.

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Massive crowds lined the route from York to Sheffield. One of the British stars in the race, Mark Cavendish, dropped out before Stage 2 amid pain from a separated right shoulder sustained in a crash Saturday.

England is hosting the first three stages of the three-week race before it enters France.