Columbia's Mark Cavendish has ridden to his first victory of the 2010 season in stage two of the Vuelta a Catalunya in Spain.
Cavendish has had a tough early season because of illness, but he has raised his arms in victory at the end of the 182 kilometre stage from Salt to Banyoles. Second in the bunch sprint was Argentina's Juan Jose Haedo, with Aitor Galdos of Spain in third.
HTC-Columbia first worked hard to pull back a two-man breakaway, and then kept the race under control on a nine kilometre circuit in the last part of the stage for Cavendish.
"There were a lot of teams scraping for position at the end and it was quite dangerous," Cavendish said afterwards.
"But even though we've got a young squad here and they're still learning the ropes, they stayed together and gave it 100 percent. Without them I wouldn't have been able to do my sprint. I wouldn't have been there."
The most prolific winner of the peloton in 2009, Cavendish said it had been hard not to take any victories before he finally netted his sprint win in Spain.
"By this point in the season last year I had six victories. This time the year began badly and not to have won anything so far has been frustrating.
"But my form's been getting better and better and the team never lost faith in me."
Cavendish's win is the 52nd of his professional career, and the twelfth for HTC-Columbia men's team this season.
