Quick Step Floors sprinter Elia Viviani has won his second successive stage of the Giro d'Italia in Eilat this afternoon as the three-day Grand Start in Israel concluded.
BMC Racing's Rohan Dennis retains the overall lead at the end of the 229-kilometre stage through the Negev Desert from Be'er Sheva today.
With around 50 kilometres remaining, Viviani had to battle back to the peloton after sustaining a puncture.
As happened yesterday in Tel Aviv, he left his sprint for the line late and had to fight to stay upright as Irish rider Sam Bennett of Bora-Hangrohe went shoulder to shoulder with the Italian.
Bennett finished third on the stage, with Team EF Education First-Drapac rider Sacha Modolo second.
Following the stage, Viviani said: "In the first two hours of racing I felt very bad. The pressure was off after yesterday's win. But I felt better later on. I have competed in the classics so I was ready for 230 kilometres today.
"We followed our plan. We only missed Sabatini because he had a flat tyre. But the final straight was good for me.”
Dennis commented: “It feels good to retain the Maglia Rosa. It's been a stressful day though. In the end, it's been a maximum effort to stay out of trouble and away from the splits.
"Campenaerts paid the price for his efforts to take the jersey but he did well. In Sicily, I'll take it day by day and try to stay in pink as long as possible.”
Tomorrow sees the first rest day of the race to allow the peloton and its accompanying circus to head back to Italy, where racing resumes on Sicily on Tuesday with a 198-kilometre stage from Catania to Caltagirone.
I know this isn't the point, but lots of supermarkets will now take plastic bags for [some form of recycling] whereas at my council site, they'd...
Posting them here in the comments six times a day is just excessive anyway.
I wonder how many Cycling UK members still campaigned for the return of the winged wheel and the CTC name. They seemed to do that every year when I...
I use a cheap motorcycle dashcam on my e-bike (~£100 for 2 cameras and a common recording box). Comes with a wired remote that I don't bother with....
Couple told their 'offensive' number plate was banned now have it on display in garden...
The other thing about the changes in Paris is that it is just so much more pleasant than it was before. Not only is the air cleaner, but the...
She may have a disability and have the car through Motability. She may have recently lost her job and the car dates from more prosperous times. For...
I got myself a klickfix freepack sport with the seatpost mount about 15 years ago which does exactly the same with more distance between saddle...
By my reckoning there are eight comments from cyclists who don't think it's necessary, five comments from cyclists who think it's good, four...