After a slow start to the race, Colombia tried to mix it up with the sprinters on stage 2 of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes. In the end, Leonardo Duque could only manage 12th.

Team Colombia achieved the first top-15 placement at the end of Tour of Poitou-Charentes day 2. Leonardo Duque put his experience into play in the bunch sprint om the second stage (Marans – Niort 183,6 Km) with the second consecutive success of Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma Quick Step) as the logical outcome.

The British sprinter beat Movistar’s Enrique Sanz and FDJ’s Lorrenzo Manzin on the finish line, whilst Duque took 12th at the end of a frantic stage.

Both in the early and late phases of the race, a four-man lead went on the attack, but the Cavendish’s guys didn’t leave any chance, closing down the escapees with 20 km to go.

“We tried to play our cards in the final sprint and Duque claimed a top-15”, Valerio Tebaldi said. “The penultimate day of the race will be split in two legs, a time trial in the afternoon and a tricky stage in the morning where we’ll try to do our best”.