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Elia Viviani sprints to victory in Scotland

Elia Viviani beats Alessandro Petacchi and Gerald Ciolek to win the first stage of the Tour of Britain.

Cannondale's Elia Viviani has clinched victory in the opening stage of the Tour of Britain.

The 24-year-old Italian triumphed over Alessandro Petacchi (Omega Pharma QuickStep) and Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka) in a sprint finish at Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfriesshire, Scotland.

The riders jostled for position leading into the final kilometre, which caused home favourite Mark Cavendish to lose touch with teammate Petacchi.

He had been on the Italian's wheel for most of the race, but was forced to settle for a 12th-placed finish after being lost in the bustling pack.

Sir Bradley Wiggins picked up one bonus point by finishing third in the final intermediate sprint and finds himself ninth in the general classification after the first stage.

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