Rabobank finished 1st and 2nd in the sprint finish in Jefferson City on Friday, while Garmin Chipotle's Christian Vande Velde finished safely in the peloton to hold onto the yellow jersey for another day at the 2008 Tour of Missouri.
Although Team Columbia set the pace going into the final lap for Mark Cavendish, they couldn't control several attacks other cyclists that created a free-for-all of failed bids at the end.
Boy Van Poppel (the Netherlands) won the sprint, followed closely by teammate Michael van Stayen (Belgium).
If the name Van Poppel is familiar, it's because Boy is the son of Jean-Paul Van Poppel, a successful sprinter and winner of 9 stages of the Tour de France in the 1980s and 1990s.
If anyone wants a chance at Vande Velde's yellow jersey, Stage 6 on Saturday might be the day. There are three climbs to warrant King of the Mountains points, and Vande Velde has only 18 seconds on his nearest challenger, Team Columbia's Michael Rogers.
Tour of Missouri's Stage 6 rolls for 96 miles from Hermann to St. Charles.
Details at VeloNews or CyclingNews.
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