REGENSDORF, Switzerland: French rider Bryan Coquard was fastest in a group sprint to take the second stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Monday, as Yves Lampaert of Soudal stayed top of the general ranking.
The 177-kilometre hilly stage two, run from Vaduz, Liechtenstein, to Regensdorf in Switzerland came down to a mass sprint in the final stretch, with Australian Michael Matthews and Belgian Arnaud De Lie joining Cofidis' Coquard on the podium.
"This is my biggest win today," said the 32-year-old Frenchman.
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster RTS, Coquard added that he had pulled off "a perfect finish, with a perfect sprint".
Italian Alberto Bettiol attacked with 3km to go but was reeled in by the peloton just 1.2km from the finish line.
Ineos' Ethan Hayter and Stefan Bissegger of EF Education EasyPost fell with just over a kilometre left as the bunched peloton prepared itself for a sprint to the line.
Coquard was the fastest as he raced clear of his competitors to claim his first stage win in the Tour of Switzerland.
Belgian Lampaert, the winner of Sunday's stage one time-trial, remained top of the general classification, 4sec ahead of Hayter with Portugal's Joao Almeida a further 3sec back. -- AFP