Hivert gets the love after taking the Stage 2 victory.
(Photo: Bettini)
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 Results
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.
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