Mark Cavendish from Team Columbia was first across the finish line of the Tour of Missouri, Monday afternoon, on the Plaza in Kansas City.

At the tender age of 23, Mark Cavendish looked a little uncomfortable getting all the attention on the podium Monday afternoon at the end of the first stage of the Tour of Missouri.

Cavendish, of Great Britain, picked up his first-ever stage win in America when he outlasted Tyler Farrar in a final sprint to take the yellow jersey heading into today’s second stage between Clinton and Branson.

But Cavendish had plenty of time to get used to the attention — and the kisses on each cheek from the podium girls — before he called it a day. Not only did he cover the nearly 90 miles in a winning 3 hours, 15 minutes, 14.6 seconds, but he took the jerseys for best young rider and best sprinter as well.

Cavendish rode teammate George Hincapie’s wheel for much of the day before Hincapie pulled off to turn the final, surprisingly hectic sprint over to his Team Columbia teammate with about 250 meters remaining.

“A lot of guys who haven’t raced me before, so maybe they thought they could beat me,” Cavendish said of the hectic finish. “All the credit to them if they think they can do that.”

And while Cavendish may have been uncomfortable and seemingly shy, he doesn’t lack confidence, even in the face of a challenge from Garmin-Chipotle’s Farrar, another of the sport’s young stars.

Asked if he thought he could take Cavendish in the sprints during this tour, Farrar said, “I’m gonna try. Tomorrow’s another day, another race.”

Cavendish, who could barely be heard sometimes even with the microphone at the post-race news conference, chirped back clearly, “He hasn’t beat me yet.”

Barely a front wheel’s length separated the two by the race’s end, with Italian Francesco Chicchi of the Liquigas team a close third. All three were credited with times of 3:15:14.

Cavendish went on a tear this season, picking up numerous wins, including four stage wins in the Tour de France, three at the Tour of Italy and three at last week’s Tour of Ireland. Yet he decided to forgo his own country’s Tour of Britain to compete in the Tour of Missouri.

“It’s an American team, an American sponsor, with some great American riders on the team,” Cavendish explained. “I had a point to prove in coming here.”

And the sprint star was happy he did. He was impressed with the support he’s seen for a race just in its second year.

“It’s massively promising,” Cavendish said. “I was impressed by the amount of people that are watching, and not just watching but are enthusiastic about it.”

Race conditions, however, were less than ideal. While the rain halted in time for dry pavement through St. Joseph early in the afternoon, scattered rain showers pelted the riders for the last 90 minutes of the race.

Crosswinds kicked up north of Kansas City, thwarting an early attempt by Cavendish and his teammates for a breakaway and making it miserable for the rest of the peloton.

“It was unpleasant at times,” Farrar conceded. “That’s bike riding. Sometimes you have to ride in nasty weather.”

There were two designated climbs for points in the first stage, with Dominique Rollin of Canada taking the “king of the mountain” jersey. Martin Kohler of Switzerland picked up the jersey as the most aggressive rider.

Sports reporter Rick Dunaway can be

reached at rickd@npgco.com