Tirreno Adriatico Stage 2: Matt Goss takes sprint and makes it two wins today for Orica-GreenEdge

Matt Goss of Orica-GreenEdge has taken the Australian's team second WorldTour victory of the afternoon, winning a tough sprint in Indicatore that followed a scrappy finale in which the peloton became very strung out with a number of fancied riders missing the chance to compete for the win. Manuel Belleti of AG2R-La Mondiale was second, with MTN-Qhubeka's Gerald Ciolek third. Mark Cavendish finished fifth and keeps the race lead after picking up bonus seconds at an internediate sprint, but afterwards was critical of his leadout.

The Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider, winner of the stage of last year's race that finished here, was one of a number of fancied riders who saw their plans to fully contest the sprint scuppered in a disorganised finale on roads soaked from a heavy downpour. Cavendish recovered well to claim fifth place, but any chance of challenging for the win ended as he had to hit the brakes inside the closing 100 metres as he sought a way through on the right.

Afterwards, Cavendish, who typically expresses the feeling he has let his team mates down when things haven't worked out in a sprint finish, was uncharacteristically hard on them. "I'm quite disappointed with my leadout today, it's not often I say that, but we'll have to have words," he said.

Heavy rain made for a long day in the saddle for the 232 kilometre stage from San Vicenzo, and while today may not have resulted in the much anticipated first battle of the season between Cavendish and Lotto-Belisol's Andre Greipel, there's another expected opportunity for them to go head to head on tomorrow's Stage 3 in Narni Scalo.

Tirreno Adriatico Stage 2 result

1  GOSS Matthew           ORICA GREENEDGE         5.48'41
2  BELLETTI Manuel        AG2R LA MONDIALE    All at same time
3  CIOLEK Gerald          MTN-QHUBEKA
4  FERRARI Roberto        LAMPRE-MERIDA
5  CAVENDISH Mark         OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK-STEP
6  DEMARE Arnaud          FDJ
7  GREIPEL André          LOTTO BELISOL
8  SBARAGLI Kristian      MTN-QHUBEKA
9  SAGAN Peter            CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING
10 APPOLLONIO Davide      AG2R LA MONDIALE
11 NIZZOLO Giacomo        RADIOSHACK LEOPARD
12 VAN POPPEL Boy         VACANSOLEIL-DCM
13 FARRAR Tyler           GARMIN SHARP
14 DEGENKOLB John         TEAM ARGOS-SHIMANO
15 IMPEY Daryl            ORICA GREENEDGE
16 VENTOSO Francisco      MOVISTAR TEAM
17 PHINNEY Taylor         BMC RACING TEAM
18 MONTAGUTI Matteo       AG2R LA MONDIALE
19 HENDERSON Gregory      LOTTO BELISOL
20 CHICCHI Francesco      VINI FANTINI-SELLE ITALIA

Overall standings after Stage 2

1  CAVENDISH Mark         OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK-STEP 6.08'02
2  KWIATKOWSKI Michal     OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK-STEP    0'02
3  TERPSTRA Niki          OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK-STEP    0'03
4  MARTIN Tony            OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK-STEP    0'03
5  STYBAR Zdenek          OMEGA PHARMA-QUICK-STEP    0'03
6  VISCONTI Giovanni      MOVISTAR TEAM              0'14
7  DOWSETT Alex           MOVISTAR TEAM              0'14
8  COBO ACEBO Juan Jose   MOVISTAR TEAM              0'14
9  INTXAUSTI Benat        MOVISTAR TEAM              0'14
10 CAPECCHI Eros          MOVISTAR TEAM              0'14