Sport

Cavendish sprints to stage win in Giro d’Italia

British rider takes his second stage win of this year’s race in a fast finish

Mark Cavendish celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia from Mola di Bari to Margherita di Savoia. Photograph: PA
Mark Cavendish celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the sixth stage of the Giro d’Italia from Mola di Bari to Margherita di Savoia. Photograph: PA
Thu May 09 2013 - 18:23

Mark Cavendish claimed his second stage victory of the 2013 Giro d’Italia today after a dramatic 169km sixth stage to Margherita Di Savoia.

The Isle of Man rider beat Elia Viviani and Matthew Goss on the final sprint to the line to regain the sprinter’s red jersey.

Italian Luca Paolini retained his 17-second overall advantage over Rigoberto Uran, but Bradley Wiggins was held up by a crash which blocked the road 31km from the finish.

Wiggins sustained a puncture early in the stage and was forced to get off his bike and wait for the road to be cleared, before launching a determined effort to catch the first part of the peloton.

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Wiggins and his Team Sky team-mates made up more than a minute as they caught up, leaving Wiggins still 34 seconds adrift of leader Luca Paolini.

Cavendish told reporters: “I’m happy. The team did an incredible job and everything was perfect and 100 per cent right. There were only two stages for the sprinters in the first part of the Giro but I’ve won both of them, so I’m happy.”

Cavendish dedicated his stage win to Belgian rider Wooter Weylandt, who was killed at the Giro two years ago to the day after crashing during a steep descent.