Cavendish’s jersey goes Boom as Lars takes sprint

Dutch rider Boom led home a Rabobank one-two ahead of Michael Matthews with Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas third after the 140-kilometre stage around Stoke-on-Trent.

Cavendish, who won the opening stage two days ago, had to be content with fifth as he slipped three seconds behind Boom in the overall standings.

Welshman Thomas is a further three seconds behind in third place heading into today’s fourth stage on his home turf from Welshpool to Caerphilly.

After Monday’s second stage was cancelled due to high winds the race resumed around the Potteries yesterday. Team Sky’s Alex Dowsett made a solo break with 17km to go and stayed out in front to hold onto a 20-second lead with 10km remaining.

His advantage was, however, slowly reeled in by the peloton to set up an uphill sprint along Albion Street to the finish line.

Despite Cavendish’s proven sprinting quality, Boom was best equipped to steal the stage, just ahead of team-mate Matthews, to claim the race lead with five stages remaining.

Meanwhile, Italy coach Paolo Bettini has announced a 13-man squad for next week’s world championships that is missing several big names due to new anti-doping rules.

The Italian cycling federation approved new regulations in June preventing any rider who has been banned for doping for longer than six months from ever wearing the national team jersey again. That ruled out Alessandro Petacchi and Davide Rebellin, both possible contenders in Copenhagen, as well as Ivan Basso, Michele Scarponi and Danilo Di Luca. Italy’s hopes now rest on sprinter Daniele Bennati, who finished first and second in the final two stages of the Spanish Vuelta last weekend.

In the road squad are Manuel Belletti, Oscar Gatto, Francesco Gavazzi, Sacha Modolo, Daniel Oss, Luca Paolini, Manuel Quinziato, Matteo Tosatto, Giovanni Visconti and Elia Viviani, while Marco Pinotti and Adriano Malori will contest the time trial.