Cavendish wins first stage

SACRAMENTO: Britain’s Mark Cavendish powered past Slovakia’s Peter Sagan just before the finish line yesterday to win the first stage of the Tour of California.

Cavendish, a 25-time Tour de France stage winner, raced to his 10th victory of the season, finishing the 203km race in 4 hours, 43 minutes, 27 seconds. He also won Tour of California stages in Sacramento in 2010 and last year.

Sagan, the four-time sprint competition winner in the Tour de France and an 11-time stage winner at the Tour of California, was second in the same time.

Jean-Pierre Drucker of Luxembourg was third in the mass sprint, also in the same time.

The second stage today is a 193km road race from Nevada City to Lodi. – ANA-AP