For the second day in a row, Team Sky came close to winning a race in the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana when Edvald Boasson Hagen won the sprint for 2nd behind solo winner Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-Quick Step). Having taken the initiative throughout the stage, the team was rewarded for its hard work and now only has one chance left.

Edvald Boasson Hagen led home the main field to claim second place in Mallorca at Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana. The Norwegian finished with a flurry following a frenetic finish on the island’s famous cycling roads, winning the bunch kick after Michal Kwiatkowski had escaped to victory.

The Polish champion attacked alongside Sergio Henao on the climb of Puig Major, bridging across to the day’s break in the process on the run for home as seven riders looked to contest the finish. Yet in the final few kilometres, and with the peloton bearing down, the Polish champion kicked again and quickly opened out a gap approaching 30 seconds on the chasers.

That proved enough to hold on as the rest of the group were consumed by the chasing pack, Boasson Hagen then using his turn of pace to hold off Francesco Gavazzi (Astana) at the line. With the escapees caught in the final metres by a chasing group Henao was able to hang on and still claim 10th spot, with David Lopez and Sebastian Henao both there in the final shake-up.

The runner-up spot was the second in a row for Sky after Ben Swift had sprinted to 2nd in yesterday's Trofeo Ses Salines.

“There was a lot of action today," sports director Dan Frost said. "We came very close again. The boys really worked well together but we just didn’t get that extra spot on the podium.

“A group went away at the start and they got eight or nine minutes. We started pulling and brought that down on [Col del] Soller. Once they got onto Puig Major Sergio went away alongside Kwiatkowski. They closed the gap to the group in front. Then once it came together Kwiatkowski counter attacked and just went away. Sergio couldn’t respond to that - it was a great move.

“Then with about one-and-a-half kilometres to go they were caught by a group which had Eddy, David (Lopez) and Sebastian (Henao). Sebastian in particular did a tremendous ride today to say that these are his first pro races.

“Eddy actually thought that he’d won the race and that they’d caught all the guys in the group! But we’ll see what happens tomorrow. We’ll ride for Swifty and see if we can make it happen.”