Team Sky’s Elia Viviani sprinted into the leader’s jersey on stage one of the Tour of Britain, beating Mark Cavendish and Andre Greipel in a bunch sprint in Wrexham.

The Italian, who beat Cavendish in this race at Drumlanrig Castle in 2013 repeated the feat after Team Sky had helped to set the tempo throughout the day in North Wales.

Viviani came from the slipstream of his two sprinting rivals to claim a victory so narrow that neither he nor Cavendish knew who had won initially.

But with victory granted to Viviani, the Italian will wear the golden leader’s jersey for the second time after his success two years ago.

Rolling out of Beaumaris under grey skies – and after several last-minute trips to the team buses as riders reached for their waterproofs thanks to a heavy shower – it was a group of four who animated the early part of the race.

Kristian House, in his final race for Condor-JLT, Tom Stewart (Madison-Genesis), Pete Williams (One Pro Cycling) and Connor Dunne (An Post Chain Reaction) forged to clear to contest the intermediate climbs and sprints.

It was House – a former winner of the spotted jersey – who took the honours in the climbing classification, while Dunne claimed the first sprinter’s jersey of this year’s race.

Behind them, Sky took control of the bunch to reel in what had been a nine-minute lead at its maximum before Lotto-Soudal and Etixx-QuickStep joined the chase as they closed the gap through Flintshire and on towards Wrexham.

The four men were promptly swept up to set up a sprint finish, with Etixx-QuickStep boasting numbers on the front – to the extent that Cavendish’s sprinting rivals had to chase back on.

Mark Renshaw hit the front to lead out the Manx Missile, who accelerated beyond his lead-out man on the final corner, with Greipel on his wheel.

Viviani spotted a gap on the inside, however, as Cavendish kicked for the line with 100m remaining, and the Italian sneaked through to claim victory by less than a tyre’s width.

Greipel held on for third, with Owain Doull (Team WIGGINS) an impressive fourth, the fastest of the British UCI Continental riders.

It will be Viviani who wears the leader’s jersey on stage two, however, as the peloton races from Clitheroe to Colne.

Tour of Britain 2015: stage one – result

1) Elia Viviani (ITA) – Team Sky – 4.26.29hrs
2) Mark Cavendish (GBR) – Etixx-QuickStep – ST
3) Andre Greipel (GER) – Lotto-Soudal
4) Owain Doull (GBR) – Team WIGGINS
5) Juan Jose Lobato (ESP) – Movistar
6) Pim Ligthart (NED) – Lotto-Soudal
7) Mark Renshaw (AUS) – Etixx-QuickStep
8) Tyler Farrar (USA) – MTN-Qhubeka
9) Alberto Bettiol (ITA) – Cannondale-Garmin
10) Graham Briggs (GBR) – JLT-Condor

General classification

1) Elia Viviani (ITA) – Team Sky – 4.26.19hrs
2) Mark Cavendish (GBR) – Etixx-QuickStep +4”
3) Andre Greipel (GER) – Lotto-Soudal +6”
4) Owain Doull (GBR) – Team WIGGINS +10”
5) Juan Jose Lobato (ESP) – Movistar – ST
6) Pim Ligthart (NED) – Lotto-Soudal
7) Mark Renshaw (AUS) – Etixx-QuickStep
8) Tyler Farrar (USA) – MTN-Qhubeka
9) Alberto Bettiol (ITA) – Cannondale-Garmin
10) Graham Briggs (GBR) – JLT-Condor