Mark Cavendish may not yet have a coveted win during his comeback to full health and hoped-for race-winning form, but he has taken the race lead at Coppi e Bartali today.
The Isle of Man rider, who has won 30 Tour de France stages but almost left the sport last year, was 2nd in the road stage that opened proceedings in Italy this morning.
In the afternoon TTT his Deceuninck-QuickStep team was 3rd in the 10.8km race against the watch in Gatteo; the stage won by Israel Start-Up Nation by one second from Astana.
Deceuninck-QuickStep was then 3rd, some two seconds down on the stage-winning time. And because Cavendish secured a four-second time bonus for his runner-up placing on the morning road stage, he took the race lead after this afternoon's TTT.
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Italian rider Jakub Mareczko (Vini Zabù) beat Cavendish in the bunch sprint to win the morning road stage and he took the maximum six bonus seconds, and so held the race lead going into the afternoon TTT.
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However, his team could only manage 11th in the TTT, losing 24 seconds to winners Israel Start-Up Nation and giving away 22 seconds to Cavendish and his team mates, meaning the British rider took the race lead.
Though Cavendish is still trying to take his first win in three years, after coming back from Epstein Barr virus, taking the race lead today will be a boost for him.
It's the first time Cavendish (35) has led a race since Abu Dhabi Tour in February, 2017. And his last win came at the Dubai Tour in February, 2018.
The only Irishman in Coppi e Bartali, Eddie Dunbar (24), is in action for Ineos Grenadiers. The British team finished 5th in the TTT, just eight seconds down on the winners.
That TTT result keeps Dunbar's chances of overall success very much intact after he finished in the bunch on this morning's short road stage.
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