Ethan Hayter dominates for Ineos Grenadiers, Sam Bennett loses yellow | Video | Sticky Bottle

*Ethan Hayter (22) spent much of the last climb on the radio organising his team mates and then won stage 2 in a sprint to the line. He also took the yellow jersey at Volta ao Algarve*

Ethan Hayter has taken a very strong stage win at Volta ao Algarve; the young British rider climbing with the best and expertly marshaling his team mates on the final climb before easily winning the sprint for victory.

Hayter, still aged just 22 years but with three victories to his name since joining Ineos Grenadiers last year, has also taken over the race lead from Ireland's Sam Bennett, who retains the green points jersey.

The Carrick-on-Suir sprinter won yesterday's opening stage in a bunch gallop but was never going to feature today on stage 2 as it concluded on the 7.7km cat 1 Alto da Fóia. Bennett lost 18 minutes to Hayter today but should be in with another chance of victory on tomorrow's stage 3.

🇵🇹 #VAlgarve21 Brillante tercer puesto de @Jonathanlastra_ en Foia, demostrando piernas y pundonor en la etapa reina de la carrera. La victoria, para el británico Hayter (IGD).#SúmateAlVerde 💚 pic.twitter.com/DCll8yFiI0

— Team Caja Rural-RGA (@CajaRural_RGA) May 6, 2021

Today's stage came down to a battle on the final climb after the early breakaway had been mopped up. And while the peloton fractured immediately the road went up, it wasn't until Elié Gesbert (Arkéa-Samsic) attacked from what remained of the bunch with 4km to go that the fireworks went off.

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That attack saw the winning group form, with six riders up front and Hayter waiting until he was sure the move was gone before he jumped across to it.

He had two team mates for company - Iván Sosa and Sebastián Henao - as well as João Rodrigues (W52/FC Porto), Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Gesbert.

*Sam Bennett in yellow on a day when the finish was for the climbers in the field and so was never gong to suit the Irishman*

Once those six pulled out a gap Hayter looked incredibly comfortable and spent much of his time on the radio organising his two team mates to do turns on the front and fend off riders trying to get across to them.

The group stayed cleared, with Sosa doing most of the damage, before Hatyer easily won the sprint at the finish. Rodrigues and Martinez were 2nd and 3rd on the same time as the winner. Gesbert was 4th at four seconds followed by Sosa, in 5th at nine seconds, and Gomez in 6th at 20 seconds.

The result leaves Hayter in the yellow jersey and on the same time overall as Rodrigues and Martinez. With tomorrow's sprint stage to come, followed by a 20.3km TT and another climbing stage to conclude on Sunday, Hayter is in a great position to win overall.