Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Mark Cavendish traded yellow for green on Monday, but not before strongly representing with a top 30 finish as the GC leader in the AMGEN Tour of California Stage 2, 20.1km time trial in Folsom.
Cavendish was the top finisher for OPQS, placing 27th in a TT parcours not suited for his sprinter abilities. Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) won the stage, with Rohan Dennis (Garmin-Sharp) 2nd and Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team) 3rd.
Cavendish may have lost the yellow jersey, but he traded it for the green "points" jersey. The British Champion leads John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) by three points.
OPQS looks next to a mountain stage for the GC contenders on Tuesday. The 174.5km Stage 3 travels from San Jose to a summit finish on Mt. Diablo.