Elia Viviani beats Mark Cavendish on first stage of Tour of Britain

Elia Viviani edged out Mark Cavendish to win the opening stage of the Tour of Britain after a sprint finish.

Germany’s Andre Greipel, who won four stages at this year’s Tour de France, was third.

“But when Cavendish went I saw a space on the left and I went to the line. We were so close, I needed a few metres after the line to realise I had won”.

Cavendish’s Etixx-Quick Step leadout train had put him in an ideal position as the day’s four breakaway riders were swept up at the start of the final kilometre.

Cavendish, who opted to race on home soil instead of the Vuelta Espana, groaned: “The Vuelta has just become stupid now – 11 mountain-top finishes this year”. “The last sharp left-hander was a bit technical, the wind was blowing through the buildings in the last straight”.

“I could experience Grepiel truth be told there and possibly I felt it overly much”. “Had I shut out the left maybe I would have got it”. People come here to prepare for the worlds now. I like to race in front of the home fans.

In the end it came down to a mere bike throw to the line between the two and, after a review, the victory was awarded to Viviani by mere centimetres.

Together they comprised the nearly ideal break riding strongly as a quartet for the best part of 170-kilometres from Anglesey, over the Menai Bridge and through Snowdonia and the six counties of North Wales, at one stage running up a nine-minute lead. Victor of the summits competitors for the 2012 Tour of Britain, House the first pioneer of that is actually class recently.

“This race has always been important to the domestic teams”.