• Dubai Tour

Cavendish sprints to second season win

ESPN staff
February 4, 2015
Mark Cavendish said he was delighted with his team © Getty Images
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Mark Cavendish secured his second victory of the season after winning the opening stage of the Dubai Tour in a sprint finish.

Cavendish, cycling for Etixx-Quick Step, pipped Italians Andrea Guardini, of Astana, and Team Sky's Elia Viviani, to the end of the 90-mile route from the Dubai International Marine Club to the Union House Flag.

The win follows the Briton's victory at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina last week.

"I'm super happy with my form and the cohesion between Etixx-Quick Step," he said. "We really rode strong as a team in Argentina and we rode really well as a team in Dubai today. All winter I was happy.

"At training camp it was such a strong ambiance. We knew we'd start off on a good note this season. We won more than 60 races last year and we want to try and or better than this year.

"It's not going to be a big ask I don't think, because we can feel the desire and motivation to go out as a unit and win."

Meanwhile, fellow Briton Lizzie Armitstead was third on stage two of the women's Tour of Qatar to sit second overall.

The Commonwealth Games champion was three seconds behind Ellen van Dijk on the 70-mile route from Al Zubarah Fort to Madinat Al Shamal, which the Dutchwoman won.

Van Dijk and Armitstead are team-mates on the Boels Dolmans squad and the Yorkshirewoman may ride in support of the Dutchwoman in the race, which finishes on Friday.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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