GENEVA, April 29, 2010 – British cyclist Mark Cavendish signaled he was back in the fray on Thursday by winning a sprint finish on the second stage of the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland.

Cavendish made a defiant gesture with his arm after crossing the finish line in the Swiss city of Fribourg ahead of Germany’s Danilo Hondo and South African Robbie Hunter (GRM).

Slovak Peter Sagan kept the yellow jersey after a bunched finish to the 171.8 km stage around largely flat countryside.

Cavendish later explained that he wanted to silence his critics, especially journalists, after a barren patch in recent months.

“It’s just really to say I’m back,” he told Swiss television TSR.

“A lot of things have been said… I’ve had a bad start to the season,” added the sprinter.

The 24 year-old claimed his first stage victory in six months in Spain’s Tour of Catalonia in March, but then pulled out of the race because of flu.

Cavendish, who had seemed near invincible in sprints last season, finished well behind the main peloton in the first stage of the Swiss race on Wednesday after a series of accelerations wore him out on the hilly course.

Thursday’s stage was widely tipped to favor sprinters, and the Briton was full of praise for his Columbia-HTC team mates in the 25 degree heat.

“Our guys did what they do best, there was also this headwind,” he said.

US rider Chad Beyer (BMC), Kazakh Mikhail Ignatyev (AST), Dutchman Denis Van Winden (RAB) and Spaniard Alan Perez (EUS) had staged an early breakaway.

The four built up a lead of nearly five minutes but were reeled in about 30km away from the finish by Sagan and last year’s winner Roman Kreuziger’s Liquigas team.

The race in western Switzerland continues on Friday with an individual time trial around the town of Moudon before it moves to the final two days in the Alps, which are set to favor strong climbers.

Results of the 171.8km second stage of the Tour de Romandie in and around the Swiss town of Fribourg on Thursday:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR/THR) 4hrs 29min 59sec
2. Danilo Hondo (GER/LAM) st
3. Robbie Hunter (RSA/GRM) st
4. Lucas Haedo (ARG/SAX) st
5. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) st
6. Koldo Fernandez (ESP/EUS) st
7. Danilo Wyss (SUI/BMC) st
8. Ben Swift (GBR/SKY) st
9. Nicolas Roche (IRL/ALM) st
10. David Loosli (SUI/LAM) st

Overall standings:
1. Peter Sagan (SVK/LIQ) 9hrs 24min 28sec
2. Marco Pinotti (ITA/THR) at 09sec.
3. Jérémy Roy (FRA/FDJ) 09
4. Danilo Hondo (GER/LAM) 11
5. Michael Rogers (AUS/THR) 12
6. Christophe Moreau (FRA/GCE) 14
7. Francesco Gavazzi (ITA/LAM) 15
8. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/LIQ) 15
9. Ruben Plaza (ESP/GCE) 15
10. Haimar Zubeldia (ESP/RSH) 15

Selected:
15. Alejandro Valverde (ESP/GCE) 17
21. Denis Menchov (RUS/RAB) 19
50. Ivan Basso (ITA/LIQ) 25

Article by: AFP
File Photo by: CorVos Pro