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Cavendish wins stage 1 in Missouri

By VeloNews.com
Published: Sep. 8, 2008
ToM '08, stage 1: Cavendish won handily.
ToM '08, stage 1: Cavendish won handily.

Mark Cavendish (Columbia) won the first stage of the 2008 Tour of Missouri on Monday, outkicking Garmin-Chipotle's Tyler Farrar in a chaotic field sprint at the end of a 90-mile stage that started in St. Joseph.

On a rainy, cool day, Cavendish's teammates reeled in a three-man breakaway in the final miles, then drilled the pace on the final three technical circuits, reducing the size of the front group to only 25 riders at one point.

Liquigas and Garmin-Chipotle also contributed to the pace but were unable to match the strong Columbia team, which was determined to set up Cavendish for his first win on U.S soil.

The win gave Cavendish the overall lead of the race, which continues through Sunday. Check back soon for a complete report and full results.

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