GENEVA, April 26, 2012 (AFP) – Frenchman Jonathan Hivert of the
Saur-Sojasun team dominated an uphill sprint at the end of the Tour of
Romandie’s second stage as Britain’s Bradley Wiggins retained the overall lead
Thursday.
Paris-Nice champion Wiggins, who took the race leader’s yellow jersey from
Geraint Thomas with victory on the opening stage, leads another Sky teammate,
Michael Rogers, by 7sec in the overall standings.
Dutchman Bauke Mollema, of the Rabobank team, lies third overall two
further seconds off the pace.
In an undulating finale which also included a number of peloton-breaking
roundabouts, a number of teams tried to dictate the pace in a bid to keep
their leaders and potential stage winners at the front.
But it was Hivert, whose team are in the second tier Continental division,
who took the plaudits after 149.1 km of racing between Monbeliaud-Moutier.
As the road moved gradually upwards towards the finish line Hivert followed
all the right wheels before overtaking Movistar’s Portuguese contender Rui
Costa metres before the finish.
Costa finished second, ahead of multiple Tour de France stage winner Luis
Leon Sanchez (Rabobank).
The third stage of the race, being seen by many as a pre-Tour de France
tester for Wiggins and reigning yellow jersey champion Cadel Evans of
Australia, is held Friday over 157.6 km from La Neuveville to Charmey.
Stage
1. Jonathan Hivert (FRA/SAU) 3hr 48min 11sec, 2. Rui Costa (POR/MOV) same
time, 3. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) s.t., 4. Gianni Meersman (BEL/LTB) s.t.,
5. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN/GRM) s.t., 6. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA/RSH) s.t., 7.
Daniele Pietropolli (ITA/LAM) s.t., 8. Eduard Vorganov (RUS/KAT) s.t., 9.
Allan Davis (AUS/GEC) s.t., 10. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/AST) s.t., 11. Bauke
Mollema (NED/RAB) s.t., 12. Maciej Paterski (POL/LIQ) s.t., 13. Michael Rogers
(AUS/SKY) s.t., 14. Mikel Landa (ESP/EUS) s.t., 15. Giampaolo Caruso (ITA/KAT)
s.t.
Selected: 42. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) s.t., 63. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) s.t.
DNF: Travis Meyer (AUS/GEC), Lieuwe Westra (NED/VAC)
General classification
1. Bradley Wiggins (GBR/SKY) 8hr 42min 02sec, 2. Michael Rogers (AUS/SKY)
at 7sec, 3. Bauke Mollema (NED/RAB) 9, 4. Stef Clement (NED/RAB) s.t., 5.
Andrew Talansky (USA/GRM) 11, 6. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/RAB) s.t., 7. Wilco
Kelderman (NED/RAB) s.t., 8. David Zabriskie (USA/GRM) 12, 9. Simon Spilak
(SLO/KAT) s.t., 10. Ruben Plaza (ESP/MOV) s.t., 11. Rui Costa (POR/MOV) 13,
12. Tiago Machado (POR/RSH) s.t., 13. Steve Morabito (SWI/BMC) 14, 14.
Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP/MOV) s.t., 15. Jerome Coppel (FRA/SAU) 15
Selected: 22. Andreas Kloden (GER/RSH) 18, 25. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN/GRM)
s.t., 28. Roman Kreuziger (CZE/AST) 19, 31. Cadel Evans (AUS/BMC) 21