Reus is a former junior world champion

Dutchman Kai Reus took over the lead of the Tour of Britain after racing to victory in stage two.

Reus claimed the leader's yellow jersey from Australia's Chris Sutton after taking his first stage win since 2007 when a crash left him in a coma.

Reus, 24, finished the 153.3km course between Darlington and Newcastle nine seconds ahead of Alexander Kristoff.

Britain's Malcolm Elliott was seventh, Russell Downing 12th and Ian Wilkinson 13th, while Sutton was ninth.

More than 3,000 people cheered the peloton on in a dramatic second day of racing action.

606: DEBATE Have your say on the Tour of Britain here

Rabobank rider Reus, along with Tanel Kangert and Thomas De Gendt, broke away from the peloton with 42km remaining.

Reus, a former junior world champion, ploughed on alone with less than 15km to the finish with the field in hot pursuit.

His comfortable nine second margin of victory was enough to earn him yellow and Sutton admitted the first stage in York had taken its toll.

"The day went pretty well for me considering how much effort I put into the first day," said the Garmin-Slipstream rider.

"I was never going to go out there and race from the front if I could help it but the lads in the team all worked hard for me and things are looking good."

The third stage on Monday sees the peloton travel 153.8km through the Scottish Borders from Peebles to Gretna Green.

Stage 2 results:

1 Kai Reus, (Ned/Rabobank) 3 hours 38 min 32 sec

2 Alexander Kristoff, (Nor/Joker Bianchi) +09 sec

3 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Columbia-HTC) same time

4 Martin Reimer (Ger/Cervelo) same time

5 Danilo Napolitano (Ita/Katusha) same time

Selected others:

7 Malcolm Elliott (GB/Candi-TV) same time

9 Chris Sutton (Aus/Garmin-Slipstream) same time

90 Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin-Slipstream) same time

Overall classification:

1 Kai Reus, (Ned/Rabobank) 7 hours 46 min 14 sec

2 Chris Sutton (Aus/Garmin-Slipstream) +16 sec

3 Alexander Kristoff, (Nor/Joker Bianchi) +19 sec

4 Michel Merlo,(Ita/Barloworld +20 sec

5 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Columbia-HTC) +21 sec

Selected others:

88 Bradley Wiggins (GB/Garmin-Slipstream) +37 sec

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version