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Australian cyclist Matt Goss is in the overall lead at the Tour of Turkey after coming runner-up in stage two behind German giant Andre Greipel.

Australian sprint star Matt Goss was left frustrated despite seizing the overall lead on cycling's Tour of Turkey.

The GreenEDGE team young gun was narrowly pipped for a stage victory for a second straight day when edged out by German giant Andre Greipel in stage two from Alanya to Atalya.

The effort was enough to give Goss a two second lead from Greipel in the eight-stage tour's general classification, having been a close runner-up to Dutchman Theo Boss on Sunday's opening stage.

But the Tasmanian speed merchant is keen to shed the bridesmaid tag and break through for a maiden stage win two weeks out from his big Grand Tour assignment in the Giro D'Italia where he'll spearhead GrenEDGE's quest for stage victories in the first two weeks.

Goss got plenty of help from countryman Brett Lancaster in the GreenEDGE sprint train but could not withstand Greipel's surge over the last 200m.

"I'd rather have the stage win than the jersey but I'm happy to be in the lead," Goss said.

"We came here as a team to try and work out the lead-out and that's going pretty well.

"Brett Lancaster did a fantastic job from one kilometre out but Andre got that jump and I couldn't shut that gap back down.

"It's only a matter of time until I get my first win of the year. I'm getting better and better."