Australian Mark Renshaw beat Team Sky's Ben Swift in a sprint finish to stage two of the Tour of Britain in Llandudno.

Renshaw, more used to working as Mark Cavendish's lead-out man within the Omega Pharma-Quick Step squad, jumped clear before the line to win comfortably as Swift paid the price for going too soon.

After the climb of the Great Orme created significant splits in the peloton, Movistar's Alex Dowsett tried to break away to victory - challenged by Sylvain Chavanel (IAM Cycling) - but Sir Bradley Wiggins, working for Swift, led a group of chasers back on to their wheel on the approach to the line.

Swift then sprang forward but, with Cavendish not in contention, Renshaw covered the move and claimed the win.

''It was a great stage, a great victory, my first for the year with Omega Pharm-Quick Step,'' Renshaw said on British Eurosport. ''It's always good to win, I've had victories here before on the Tour of Britain and it's good to do it again.''

The 31-year-old, winner of stage five of the Tour of Britain in 2011, will now take yellow from Marcel Kittel, who lost touch with the peloton on the Great Orme.

The tour comes to Sussex on Saturday, going via Petworth, Horsham, Haywards Heath, Hailsham, Beachy Head, Lewes and Ditchling Beacon.

It finishes on the sea front at Brighton.