Jimmy Casper of Agritubel won a sprint finish to take the second stage of the Tour Méditerranéen as Norway's Thor Hushovd hung onto the yellow jersey.

The 135-km stage from La Londe to La Garde was expected to end in a mass finish, but the trio of Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis), Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) and Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) made a early breakaway.

The Frenchman was a popular winner as he now looks fully fit again after his horror crash while riding for Unibet at Kemmelberg last year (see picture).

However, Ignatiev was swallowed up before Buffaz and Veikkanen then saw there brave effort come to an end.

Frenchman Casper then took the sprint ahead of Belarus man Yauheni Hutarovich, and Hushovd who finished third.

The third stage sees the riders make the 100 km journey from Rousset to Mont Faron.

STAGE ONE

Norwegian sprint star Thor Hushovd easily won the opening stage of the Tour Méditerranéen in a mass sprint to claim the race's first yellow leader's jersey.

The Crédit Agricole rider and 2006 Tour de France green jersey beat out Liquigas riders Francesco Chicchi and Alberto Curtolo to take the opening stage win after 120 kilometres of racing from La Crau to Hyères.

Maxime Bouet (Agritubel) and Anthony Roux (Française des Jeux) went off on an early break away building up a lead of more than eight minutes before the two main sprint teams closed the gap.

The French duo were caught just 3.5-km from the finish line setting up the sprint finale.

Thursday's second stage takes the peloton 135-km from La Londe to La Garde.

Eurosport