Cavendish silences his critics, rivals
Source: Agencies |
July 9, 2010, Friday
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BRITON Mark Cavendish silenced his critics and rivals with victory in the mass sprint finish of the 187.5km fifth stage of the Tour de France yesterday.
Cavendish, who won six stages last year and four the previous year, had looked below par since the beginning of the Tour, crashing in the first stage to Brussels and being outsprinted by Alessandro Petacchi on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Briton, who was hampered by a dental infection at the start of the season, finally set his doubts aside after great work by his Columbia teammates yesterday. Germany's Gerald Ciolek was second and Norway's Edvald Boasson-Hagen came home third.
It was Cavendish's fourth victory this season and the 57th in his career.
Swiss Fabian Cancellara retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after a reasonably quiet ride in hot and sunny weather.
A three-man break involving Spanish champion Jose Ivan Guttierez, Belgian Jurgen van de Walle and France's Julien El Fares was thwarted with three kilometers to go.
Lance Armstrong, it seems, has not spoken to former Astana teammate Alberto Contador in almost a year - or he does not remember if he did.
The Spaniard visited Armstrong's RadioShack team bus before yesterday's fifth stage to offer the seven-time champion a watch inscribed "Tour de France 2009" as a souvenir of his victory in last year's race.
Armstrong, who had a tense relationship with Contador when they shared the leadership at Astana last season, did not personally receive the present.
"I didn't speak to him. I was in the back of the bus. I didn't see him. I was in the middle of something else," the 39-year-old American told reporters.
Armstrong raced against Contador only once this year at the Criterium International in Corsica and the pair did not talk to each other. A photograph taken during the third stage on Tuesday showed Armstrong standing up on his pedals and appearing angry as he looked at Contador.
"I saw that picture and it looks like we're having an argument but there's nothing. Absolutely not, absolutely not," the American said. "I don't remember the chit-chat to be honest. It's not what it appears to be."
The American was also heckled at by an angry fan on Wednesday in front of reporters. Shortly after the end of fourth stage, Armstrong stepped down from his RadioShack team bus to answer questions.
The man shouted "Cheat!" and "Doper!" at the seven-time Tour winner, who did not respond and climbed into a team car. The man then had a brief argument with Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's team manager.
Cavendish, who won six stages last year and four the previous year, had looked below par since the beginning of the Tour, crashing in the first stage to Brussels and being outsprinted by Alessandro Petacchi on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Briton, who was hampered by a dental infection at the start of the season, finally set his doubts aside after great work by his Columbia teammates yesterday. Germany's Gerald Ciolek was second and Norway's Edvald Boasson-Hagen came home third.
It was Cavendish's fourth victory this season and the 57th in his career.
Swiss Fabian Cancellara retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after a reasonably quiet ride in hot and sunny weather.
A three-man break involving Spanish champion Jose Ivan Guttierez, Belgian Jurgen van de Walle and France's Julien El Fares was thwarted with three kilometers to go.
Lance Armstrong, it seems, has not spoken to former Astana teammate Alberto Contador in almost a year - or he does not remember if he did.
The Spaniard visited Armstrong's RadioShack team bus before yesterday's fifth stage to offer the seven-time champion a watch inscribed "Tour de France 2009" as a souvenir of his victory in last year's race.
Armstrong, who had a tense relationship with Contador when they shared the leadership at Astana last season, did not personally receive the present.
"I didn't speak to him. I was in the back of the bus. I didn't see him. I was in the middle of something else," the 39-year-old American told reporters.
Armstrong raced against Contador only once this year at the Criterium International in Corsica and the pair did not talk to each other. A photograph taken during the third stage on Tuesday showed Armstrong standing up on his pedals and appearing angry as he looked at Contador.
"I saw that picture and it looks like we're having an argument but there's nothing. Absolutely not, absolutely not," the American said. "I don't remember the chit-chat to be honest. It's not what it appears to be."
The American was also heckled at by an angry fan on Wednesday in front of reporters. Shortly after the end of fourth stage, Armstrong stepped down from his RadioShack team bus to answer questions.
The man shouted "Cheat!" and "Doper!" at the seven-time Tour winner, who did not respond and climbed into a team car. The man then had a brief argument with Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's team manager.
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