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Madrid - Veteran sprint ace Alessandro Petacchi of Italy won the second stage of the Tour of Catalonia in northeastern Spain on Tuesday, a 169.3km stage from Santa Coloma de Farners to Banyoles.
Latvia's Gatis Smukulis of HTC-Highroad retains the overall lead after winning Monday's first stage.
Petacchi, 37, of the Lampre team, edged Spain's Jose Joaquin Rojas of Team Movistar at the line in a stage marked by a breakaway some 20km from the finish.
"My team-mates worked to neutralise the escape and afterwards (Daniele) Pietropolli and (David) Loosli escorted me until the sprint," said Petacchi.
But "Rojas was a tough rival," he added.
The favourites, including three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, finished with the peloton.
"I'm happy with these two first stages, I didn’t lose time and haven't suffered any falls," said Contador.
"Yesterday was a pretty hard day to be the first stage, and today the last part was very dangerous. It started to rain just as we entered into it, everyone wanted to be in front and it was a bit more risky than I would have wanted."
He said Wednesday's stage "will be crucial for the overall standings... Everything depends on how the breakaway happens in the final climb".
The race, which is celebrating its centenary and aside from Contador includes a top class field including in-form Australian Cadel Evans, continues on Wednesday with a 183.9km ride from La Vall d'en Bas to Andorra in the Pyrenees mountains.
Results from Tour of Catalonia after Tuesday's second stage, a 169.3km stage from Santa Coloma de Farners to Banyoles:
Stage:
1. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Lampre 4hr 10min 38sec, 2. Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) Movistar same time. 3. Manuel Cardoso (POR) Radioshack, s.t. 4. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) Cofidis s.t. 5. Aitor Galdos (ESP) Caja Rural s.t., 6. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA) Leopard Trek s.t. 7. Michel Kreder (NED) Team Garmin Cervelo. s.t. 8. Tom Peterson (USA) Garmin s.t. 9. Valentin Iglisky (KAZ) Astana s.t. 10. Carlos Barredo (ESP) Rabobank s.t.
Others:
22. Alberto Contador (ESP) Saxo Bank s.t.
Overall standings:
1. Gatis Smukulis (LAT) HTC 8hr 19min 28sec, 2. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) at 28sec, 3. Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) same time, 4. Jan Bakelants (BEL) Omega. s.t. 5. Tom Peterson (USA) s.t., 6. Carlos Barredo (ESP) s.t. 7. Dario Cataldo (ITA) Quickstep s.t. 8. Jelle Vanendert, (BEL) Omega. 9. Alberto Contador (ESP) s.t. 10. Bauke Mollema (NED) Rabobank s.t.
Latvia's Gatis Smukulis of HTC-Highroad retains the overall lead after winning Monday's first stage.
Petacchi, 37, of the Lampre team, edged Spain's Jose Joaquin Rojas of Team Movistar at the line in a stage marked by a breakaway some 20km from the finish.
"My team-mates worked to neutralise the escape and afterwards (Daniele) Pietropolli and (David) Loosli escorted me until the sprint," said Petacchi.
But "Rojas was a tough rival," he added.
The favourites, including three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, finished with the peloton.
"I'm happy with these two first stages, I didn’t lose time and haven't suffered any falls," said Contador.
"Yesterday was a pretty hard day to be the first stage, and today the last part was very dangerous. It started to rain just as we entered into it, everyone wanted to be in front and it was a bit more risky than I would have wanted."
He said Wednesday's stage "will be crucial for the overall standings... Everything depends on how the breakaway happens in the final climb".
The race, which is celebrating its centenary and aside from Contador includes a top class field including in-form Australian Cadel Evans, continues on Wednesday with a 183.9km ride from La Vall d'en Bas to Andorra in the Pyrenees mountains.
Results from Tour of Catalonia after Tuesday's second stage, a 169.3km stage from Santa Coloma de Farners to Banyoles:
Stage:
1. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Lampre 4hr 10min 38sec, 2. Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) Movistar same time. 3. Manuel Cardoso (POR) Radioshack, s.t. 4. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) Cofidis s.t. 5. Aitor Galdos (ESP) Caja Rural s.t., 6. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA) Leopard Trek s.t. 7. Michel Kreder (NED) Team Garmin Cervelo. s.t. 8. Tom Peterson (USA) Garmin s.t. 9. Valentin Iglisky (KAZ) Astana s.t. 10. Carlos Barredo (ESP) Rabobank s.t.
Others:
22. Alberto Contador (ESP) Saxo Bank s.t.
Overall standings:
1. Gatis Smukulis (LAT) HTC 8hr 19min 28sec, 2. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) at 28sec, 3. Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) same time, 4. Jan Bakelants (BEL) Omega. s.t. 5. Tom Peterson (USA) s.t., 6. Carlos Barredo (ESP) s.t. 7. Dario Cataldo (ITA) Quickstep s.t. 8. Jelle Vanendert, (BEL) Omega. 9. Alberto Contador (ESP) s.t. 10. Bauke Mollema (NED) Rabobank s.t.
