(Reuters) – British cyclist Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Tour of Oman on Friday to claim his first victory since returning to the road after suffering serious injuries in a crash in November.
The 36-year-old held off Australia’s Kaden Groves (BikeExchange-Jayco) and Belgium’s Amaury Capiot (Arkea-Samsic) in the 167.5km stage from Naseem Park to Suhar Corniche for the 157th win of his career.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider’s win helped him take the overall lead from Colombia’s Fernando Gaviria, who won the opening stage of the race on Thursday.
Cavendish suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung following a crash in the Six Days of Ghent track meeting in November. In the same month, he was assaulted by four armed men during a burglary at his home.
“I was looking forward to this sprint, as it was similar to a Tour de France one, with a long finishing straight of over one kilometre,” Cavendish said. “Everyone on the team was committed and did a great job.
“It’s only been a few weeks since I returned on my bike following that crash on the track so I’m quite satisfied with my form.
“To take a win so early in the season is always important – and we hope to get more nice results before the Tour of Oman ends.”
Cavendish enjoyed a remarkable return to form in 2021, sprinting to four stage wins at the Tour de France to equal the record of 34 set by Belgian great Eddy Merckx.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
