Cav is back!

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Mark Cavendish, after a difficult start to the season, at last claimed a sprint victory in the second stage of the Tour de Romandie. The HTC-Columbia star has been raked over the coals for failing to live up to last season's records, but regained his winning ways after being reunited with lead-out man Mark Renshaw.

The team executed the final kilometres perfectly, dodging traffic islands and closing down attacks to drop Cavendish at the front with 150m to go.

The Manxman easily bested Lampre's Danilo Hondo and Robbie Hunter (Garmin-Transitions) in the dash to the line. The outspoken star let his gestures do the talking as he crossed the line, making an offensive gesture perhaps aimed at his critics before raising both arms in victory.

The reason for the two-fingered salute, Cavendish said, was to "send a message to commentators and journalists who don't know jack shit about cycling," for writing him off.

It was only Cavendish's second win of the year after one stage of the Volta a Catalunya last month. The 24-year-old suffered from a dental abscess earlier in the year and the absence of Renshaw, who missed the early season due to mononucleosis. Cavendish has struggled to find his form and equal the eight wins he had at this point last year.

"It was good to win here. My form is getting better. The team did a great job," he said before dashing off. "Today, I proved that I have never lost my talent, contrary what has been said or written."

Overall leader Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) maintained his lead over HTC-Columbia's Marco Pinotti heading into the stage three time trial.

Out and back

The second stage of the Tour de Romandie, a 171.8km loop out from Fribourg and back, began under more beautiful weather. 155 riders took the start with the only rider to exit being Footon-Servetto's Rafael Valls, who crashed on the previous stage.

Despite featuring the category 1 la Lorette ascended twice on the circuit, once at kilometre 101 and the second time at 137.9 before a relatively flat run-in back to Fribourg, it was expected that the stage would go the way of the sprinters.

However, our intrepid attackers were keen to play a little cat and mouse. Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha), Denis Van Winden (Rabobank), Alan Pérez (Euskaltel-Euskadi and Chad Beyer (BMC) were the bait for the day, with the American looking to add to his lead in the sprint classification with a second day in the break.

The gap to the peloton stabilized between four and five minutes, with Perez claiming the "virtual lead" as best placed rider overall in the breakaway. He was just 30 seconds behind Sagan at the start of the day.

Sagan's Liquigas-Doimo team was working steadily to limit the advantage of the quartet. Beyer took the first sprint at kilometre 31.4 and then the four got back to cooperating on their long journey together.

The leaders stayed together on the first trip up la Lorette, with Ignatiev claiming the mountain points over Perez, Van Winden and Beyer. Liquigas' Maciej Bondar was first from the peloton at the top, having reduced the gap to 3:30.

By the time the leaders crossed the line in Fribourg with one lap to go it was down to 1:30.

As the climb approached for the second time, the pace in the bunch became far less tame, and the boys in neon green and blue got help from Caisse d'Epargne, and whittled down the gap from two minutes down to just 30 seconds at the top.

Ignatiev was once again the first over the top of the cobbled climb, with Perez surviving to take second. Beyer and Van Winded were swept up on the climb as the peloton closed in on the leaders.

Perez and Ignatiev held their lead over the top, but an attack from the peloton by David López (Caisse d'Epargne), David Loosli (Lampre) and Charly Wegelius (Omega Pharma-Lotto) caused a surge that neutralized them all with 30km to go.

With a sprint bonus coming up, three riders decided to get a head start. Simon Spilak (Lampre), Tom Stamsnijder (Rabobank) and Jeremy Roy (Française des Jeux) gained 15 seconds on the bunch.

Roy took the sprint over Spilak and Stamsnijder and then the three were quickly brought back into the fold.

Matthias Brändle (Footon-Servetto) launched a counter-attack and succeeded in gaining 45 seconds advantage by the time he reached 18km to go.

The 20-year-old Austrian's lead was largely the result of the Liquigas team stepping away from chasing duties and a brief reluctance of any team to take over.

Once the Euskaltel-Euskadi team decided to pitch in the gap tumbled.

As Brändle came into view, BMC's Swiss rider Steve Morabito, who hails from Monthey just 80km from the finish, launched a counter-attack in hopes of scoring some hometown glory.

He used an unclassified climb to power his way up to the Footon-Servetto rider, making contact with 12km to go.

Behind, AG2R-La Mondiale rider Christophe Riblon blasted out of the peloton on the same climb, making contact with the two riders quickly.

The peloton was so close that two more riders were able to make it across the gap: Jaroslaw Marycz (Saxo Bank) and Arthur Vichot (Française Des Jeux) held a slim advantage coming into 5km to go, but the peloton had the five in its sights.

Marycz was the last to throw in the towel. While the others sat up as the peloton made contact, the Polish rider managed to power out a 50m gap on the now HTC-Columbia-led peloton, but it lasted only a kilometre before he was enveloped by the bunch.

From there it was a mere formality for the HTC-Columbia team to deliver super-sprinter Mark Cavendish to his second season victory.

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