Etixx - Quick-Step and rider Mark Cavendish protected the race lead at Dubai Tour on Thursday, after the Manx Missile finished 2nd to Elia Viviani (Sky) in the 187km 2nd Stage. Cavendish was victorious in the Stage 1 bunch sprint arrival.

The race came back together with 9.6km to go, as the peloton brought back Rafaa Chtioui (Skydive Dubai), who went solo out of a breakaway with 53km to go. Etixx - Quick-Step did a great job once again working to chase the breakaway down for the sprint.

Etixx - Quick-Step was on the front in the final few kilometers, led by Tony Martin. A 180-degree turn left the peloton battling for position into the turn and out of it, but the team was able to stay near the front. Team Sky began to move up on the left and established commanding position on the front with 1.3km to go. It appeared Etixx - Quick-Step was boxed in, but the team worked their way out of the situation and by 1km to go they were back in front.

The final sprint was a bit chaotic, and Viviani won out of the group arrival. Andrea Guardini (Astana) was 3rd.

Cavendish also kept the red points jersey.

Etixx - Quick-Step looks next to 205km Stage 3 on Friday. This stage could make the difference for the GC, as it is hilly, and includes a finish on Hatta Dam, which includes a ramp of 17 percent gradient.

“Today, to be fair, obviously I’d like to win, I’m disappointed with second, but I take a lot of positives form my sprint like the power I put out and how Etixx – Quick-Step rode," Cavendish said. "You know Etixx – Quick-Step rode really strong all day, it was windy, it was hard to stay up there. Nobody wanted to control it with us, apart from Sky, who put one guy on the front. The others teams didn't seem that interested. They must get paid to mess around in the peloton. Etixx-Quick-Step again rode well all day. It was windy and so hard to stay up there (at the front).

"In the final, we got just caught on the wrong side, unfortunately. We lost the drag race into the final turn. The wind was coming in the final 3km from the sea, from the left, so you really wanted to be on the right, but we lost the drag race so we take the left hand side out of the corner. It just took its toll on me a little bit.

"The team managed to get to the front and take control, which is really positive, but I was just a little bit on the limit before I started my sprint. Still happy with power I made in the sprint, but I was just  lacking a bit of zip.

"Guardini went. I knew he’d gone too early, but, just as luck would have it, Viviani was on his wheel and he could launch off him. I was able to come back at them it took me a while to get up to top speed today. But it’s OK. I’ve been beaten by Viviani before, and I’ll be beaten by him again, so I’m not disappointed.”

"I've been beaten by Viviani a couple of occasions and by Guardini once. He (Guardini) is fast but I'm not really scared of him. I know Viviani from his track background. He moves well and sprints well and can climb good. I think he's more the guy who is going to win the big races. But I don't look at individuals, I try to beat who is ever at each race."

Cavendish will now try to defend his leader's jersey in the queen stage.

“We'll try. Anything is possible. I don't think I'll win the stage but I have to try to defend the jersey,” he said. “If it doesn't happen, it's not a failure. I've got a committed Etixx-QuickStep team and we'll try our best.”