Viviani beats Cavendish again at the Tour of Turkey

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Two crashes inside the final 1.6km couldn't stop Elia Viviani (Cannondale) coming from behind to win his second sprint at the Presidential Tour of Turkey, ahead of Andrea Guardini (Astana) and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge) retained his one-second lead over Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) with Romain Hardy 39 seconds back.

It was a hard fought, fragmented sprint finish ending the hot 136km stage into Turkey's third city, Izmir.

On a U-turn 1.6km from the line, the back half of the peloton was held up as Astana rider Daniil Fominykh skidded through their ranks. At around 450m, Danilo Napolitano (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) lost control and careered across road taking a Torku-Sekerspor and MTN-Qhubeka rider into the barriers in a bad-looking crash, though all 140 starters finished.

The crash disrupted the heads of the race as Cavendish struggled to catch onto a teammate's wheel. Further back, an impressive Viviani step-laddered through fading riders, was forced wide around Alessandro Petacchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and latched onto Cavendish's wheel. And 100m out, with Cavendish's trademark kick not materialising, Viviani came around the Manxman and confirmed his impressive form ahead of the Giro which starts next Saturday.

"I've never won in this mode before," Viviani said describing the action-packed sprint. "It was a more difficult than my last win because so many riders were out and there were some many metres between me and Cavendish.

"I'm really, really happy for this second stage win - this is the confirmation of my first win over Cavendish. My condition is at the top now and that's been my focus over eight stages to build my condition for my main goal the Giro d'Italia.".

"The sprint started at the last turn because it was so very dangerous and because there was such a big group. At 2km to the finish, I lost so many positions to the Omega Pharma train. When their train started again and when Steegmans got on the front, many riders went out the back because he's so strong. When he started the sprint there was only Peta [Petacchi] and Cav and I see a few metres, one rider, a few metres, one rider."

Viviani hopes his impressive form will bring him the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia in Belfast next week, which starts with a team time trial in Belfast and two stages that could end in a bunch sprint

The end game started when the day long break of three - Wesley Sulzberger (Drapac), Piotr Gawronski (CCC Polsat Polkowice) and Wesley Kreder (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) were caught with 10km to go.

With around 6km remaining, the full Omega Pharma-QuickStep train emerged to take the rapid moving peloton through the city. Belkin - below par in the sprints this Tour - momentarily set up a rival line for Theo Bos but it didn't last. At 3km left Omega-Pharma-Quickstep was swamped by Cannondale and United Healthcare, however Iljo Keisse and Gert Steegmans righted the situation and ensured Cavendish was safely shepherded around the u-turn roundabout where Fominykh crashed.

In the final straight Cavendish had to sprint to regain contact with his lead-out's wheel. His chase was briefly disrupted a second time as Petacchi slowed up - a move that also forced Viviani wide.

As Cavendish bared down on what look to be his fourth stage victory, Viviani still had more power and kicked again to come around Cavendish, with Guardini also riding a strong late finish.

Cavendish retains the sprinter's green jersey. It remains numerically possible for Viviani to claim the green jersey tomorrow, but he would have to win and Cavendish finish lower than 11th.

Tomorrow, the Tour of Turkey's final stage will cross the Bosphorus Bridge, the symbolic link between Europe and Asia before the peloton start for the first of eight laps on the finishing circuit. It' likely to end in a sprint - unless Rein Taaramäe and his Cofidis squad manage to launch a surprise attack and reclaim the one second deficit to defeat Yates.

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