Overall race leader Mark Cavendish (GBR) of Team Columbia won his second stage in a row, finishing a bike-length ahead of the pack to open up a 12 second lead after finishing day two of the Tour of Missouri in Springfield, Mo.
Cavendish, who won four stages at the 2008 Tour de France, and set a goal of winning a bike race in the United States was followed to the line by Eric Baumann (GER) of Sparkasse and team Liquigas’s Francesco Chicchi (ITA).
Cavendish’s lead in the General Classification to 12 seconds over Chicchi, whose Stage Two performance moved him to second place in the G.C. while Baumann rounds out the top three. Notable American riders in the G.C. top 25 after Stage Two include George Hincapie (Team Columbia) in 18th place and Christian Vande Velde in 24th place.
For more on the story, check out the Tour of Missouri’s official website .