TOURNAI, Belgium - Briton Mark Cavendish snatched his 21st Tour de France stage win when he prevailed in a bunch sprint at the end of a 207.5-kilometres ride from Vise on Monday.
The Team Sky rider, who was on his own in the finale, beat German Andre Greipel of the Lotto-Belisol team to victory in the race's second stage.
Australian Matthew Goss came home third for the Orica-GreenEdge team.
World champion Cavendish stayed in Greipel's wheel in the home straight and went past his former team mate with about 50 metres to go.
Swiss Fabian Cancellara of the RadioShack-Nissan team retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.
A three-man breakaway group built a maximum lead of eight minutes but they were reined in as the peloton geared up for the expected bunch sprint.
Frenchman Anthony Roux, despite an injured hand, was the last to surrender when he was caught 14 km from the line.
Tuesday's third stage will take the peloton from Orchies to Boulogne-sur-Mer over 197 kilometres. – Reuters