Britain’s Ethan Hayter sprinted to victory to claim the second stage of the Tour de Romandie in La-Chaux-de-Fonds.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider inherits the yellow jersey from compatriot Ethan Vernon, who was dropped on the final climb of Thursday’s 162.7km route.
Hayter crossed the line ahead of title contenders Juan Ayuso and Romain Barde, while Briton Oscar Onley was fifth.
The 24-year-old has a six-second lead over Norway’s Tobias Foss.
“I was climbing quite well yesterday,” said Hayter. “I was quietly confident in making it to the finish. Maybe the sprint wasn’t so close but to get there was the hard part.”
Hayter stayed with the peloton as it was whittled down over the day’s five climbs, before being led out by former Tour de France champion Egan Bernal and Jhonatan Narvaez.
It is his second win of the season after he won the opening stage of the Tour of the Basque Country earlier this month.
Stage three is a 19km climbing time trial in Chatel-Saint-Denis.
The five-stage race concludes on Sunday in Geneva.
Stage two result
1. Ethan Hayter (GB/INEOS Grenadiers) 3hrs 55mins 20secs
2. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) Same time
3. Romain Bardet (Fra/Team DSM)
4. Matteo Sobrero (Ita/Team Jayco-AlUla)
5. Oscar Onley (GB/Team DSM)
General classification after stage two
1. Ethan Hayter (GB/INEOS Grenadiers) 8hrs 8mins 14secs
2. Tobias Foss (Nor/Jumbo-Visma) +6secs
3. Rémi Cavagna (Fra/Soudal-Quick-Step) Same time
4. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates) +11secs
5. Matteo Sobrero (Ita/Team Jayco-AlUla) +14secs
