Peter Kennaugh wins stage two of Settimana Coppi e Bartali in Italy and takes overall lead

Britain's Peter Kennaugh took the overall lead of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali in Italy after sealing a breakaway victory on stage two.

The Team Sky rider, who started the day second in the general classification behind team-mate Ben Swift, escaped from the peloton on the final climb of the day alongside Francesco Bongiorno and then outsprinted the Italian to the finish line in Sogliano al Rubicone.

It is the Manxman's first individual professional win and Team Sky's third consecutive victory of the race, having won stage 1a with Swift and then stage 1b's team time trial.

Kennaugh now leads Bongiorno in the general classification by 42 seconds, and with only a sprint stage and 10km time trial remaining, the 24-year-old appears on course to take overall victory.

'Rode within myself'

He told teamsky.com afterwards: “It’s was just nice to finish it off. It’s not a relief, but more a nice feeling for myself to get my first win. 

"Bongiorno’s team were riding really hard on the climb. The pace was already that high that when I went I didn’t feel great as I was already quite close to my limit. When Bongiorno came across he attacked me, but I just rode within myself and caught him on the descent."

Stage two took the riders on a 160.2km route containing five ascents of the Ville di Monte Tiffi.

Swift began to fall off the pace on the second ascent, but Kennaugh remained at the head of the race and launched his decisive attack on the final climb.

Bongiorno (Bardiani-CSF) was the only man who could follow, but he had no answer to Kennaugh's turn of speed in the closing metres and lost by two seconds. The closest chaser followed 46 seconds later.

Stage two result

1 Peter Kennaugh (GB) Team Sky, 4:20:14
2 Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani-CSF, +2sec
3 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Neri Sottoli, +48
4 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky, +50
5 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia, +52
6 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, +53
7 Davide Mucelli (Ita) Meridiana Kamen, same time
8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale, +54
9 Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, st
10 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo, st

General classification

1 Peter Kennaugh (GB) Team Sky, 6:58:05
2 Francesco Bongiorno (Ita) Bardiani-CSF, +42
3 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky, +1:00
4 Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Neri Sottoli, +1:15
5 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale, +1:24
6 Sergey Firsanov (Rus) RusVelo, +1:28
7 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, +1:30
8 Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Lampre-Merida, +1:42
9 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Colombia, +1:46
10 Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, +2:24