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Sunday, 6 May 2012

Cavendish Wins Giro Stage 2


Britain's Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Giro d'Italia, sealing the eighth stage victory of his career in the prestigious Grand Tour race.


The Team Sky rider triumphed in a bunch sprint at the end of the 128 mile (206km) stage, which started and finished in the Danish town of Herning.

Australia's Matt Goss was second with Frenchman Geoffrey Soupe third.

American Taylor Phinney retained the overall lead despite crashing with about five miles (8km) remaining.

There was another crash a few hundred metres from the line that took out some of the sprint contenders but Cavendish kept out of trouble to take victory.

Cavendish was brilliantly led out by Welsh team-mate Geraint Thomas in the closing stages.

The predominantly flat stage, with long stretches up the west Jutland coast, was expected to produce an early break and Alfredo Balloni (Farnese Vini), Olivier Kaisen (Lotto Belisol) and Miguel Rubiano (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) did just that, pulling away with 90 miles (145km) to go.

But they were caught with 25 miles (40km) remaining.

There was then an ineffectual attack by Lars Ytting Bak (Lotto Belisol), who went in search of a win on home soil, but he was undone by a combination of a headwind and a watchful peloton determined to set up a sprint finish.

The race stays in Denmark on Monday but leaves Herning for a 118-mile (190km) circuit around Horsens in east Jutland, which is again expected to favour the sprinters, particularly Cavendish.

Overall Standings
1. Taylor Phinney (US, BMC Racing) 5 hours, 3 minutes, 38 seconds
2. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) at 9 secs
3. Alex Rasmussen (Denmark / Garmin) at 13 secs
4. Manuele Boaro (Italy / Saxo Bank) at 15 secs
5. Gustav Larsson (Sweden / Vacansoleil) at 22 secs

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