Cavendish squeaks past Sagan

Nevada City - Mark Cavendish won his second straight stage by once again beating out Peter Sagan in a sprint to the finish during the second stage of the Tour of California on Monday.

The race was marred by a huge crash with 10km to go. It sent Ben Jacques-Maynes to the hospital with a dislocated shoulder and cuts on his face. The American has started in every Tour of California which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Cavendish (Etixx) had to work much harder to hold off Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) in Monday's sprint finish than he did in the first stage on when the same pair finished 1-2 on Sunday.

"He came underneath me in the last corner, and it was perfect," said Cavendish, who finished the 193-kilometre stage in four hours, 47 minutes and two seconds.

"With the pressure he's under he would hit out early, so I was happy to come off his wheel.

"He actually did a good job of boxing me in so I had to really start the sprint late."

Cavendish extended his overall race lead to eight seconds over Sagan. Breakaway rider Robin Carpenter (Hincapie Racing) moved into third thanks to his three time bonuses on the stage.

This year's race comprises 13 host cities and eight stages run over a total distance of 1 165km.

The key stages for the overall are expected to be the stage six, 24-kilometre time trial at Big Bear Lake and a gruelling climb to the Mount Baldy finish line the next day.

Sunday's 105km eighth and final stage from downtown Los Angeles to the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena should end with another sprint finish.

Results of the Tour of California after the completion of the 193.7 km (120.4 mile) second stage from Nevada City to Lodi on Monday:

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR-Etixx) 4hrs 47min 02secs

2. Peter Sagan (SVK-Tinkoff-Saxo) s.t.

3. Wouter Wippert (NED-Drapac) s.t.

4. John Murphy (USA-UnitedHealthcare) s.t.

5. Danny van Poppel (NED-Trek) s.t.

6. Jempy Drucker (LUX-BMC) s.t.

7. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (ARG-Jamis) s.t.

8. Tyler Farrar (USA-MTN) s.t.

9. Jure Kocjan (SLO-Team SmartStop) s.t.

10. Zico Waeytens (BEL-Team Giant-Alpecin) s.t.

Overall standings

1. Mark Cavendish (GBR-Etixx) 9hrs 30min 09secs

2. Peter Sagan (SVK-Tinkoff-Saxo) at 0:08

3. Robin Carpenter (USA-Hincapie) 0:11

4. William Clarke (AUS-Drapac) s.t.

5. Markel Irizar Aranburu (SPA-Trek) 0:14

6. Jempy Drucker (LUX-BMC) 0:16

7. Wouter Wippert (NED-Drapac) s.t.

8. Rob Britton (CAN-Team SmartStop) s.t.

9. John Murphy (USA-UnitedHealthcare) 0:20

10. Danny van Poppel (NED-Trek) s.t.