Cavendish sprints to 4th win
Source: Agencies |
July 24, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MARK Cavendish showed he needed no help in sprint finishes when he won the 198-kilometer 18th stage of the Tour de France in commanding fashion yesterday.
The Briton, without lead-out man Mark Renshaw who was thrown off the Tour for head-butting a rider towards the end of stage 11, surged mercilessly in the finale to outshine New Zealand's Julian Dean and Italy's Alessandro Petacchi.
Spain's Alberto Contador finished safe in the main bunch and retained the overall leader's yellow jersey with an eight-second advantage over Andy Schleck of Luxembourg.
It was Cavendish's fourth stage victory on this Tour and his 14th overall.
The Isle of Man rider also scored important points as he bids to become the first Briton to win the green jersey for the best sprinter.
Petacchi, winner of two stages early in the Tour, took the jersey back from Thor Hushovd and leads the Norwegian by 10 points while Cavendish is a further six behind.
Daniel Oss of Italy, Dane Matti Breschel and Frenchmen Benoit Vaugrenard and Jerome Pineau attacked almost from the gun.
Oss jumped away 14 kilometers from the line but was caught five kilometers from the finish, leaving the stage for the sprinters.
Today's 19th and penultimate stage is a 52-kilometer time trial from Bordeaux to Pauillac.
Contador expects to widen the lead over Schleck when the Spaniard tackles a discipline that is his specialty: time-trial.
Schleck had estimated he needed to open at least a one-minute lead on Contador, but failed to pick up any time in the final mountain stage in the legendary Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees on Thursday.
Yesterday's 18th stage was completely different, offering no opportunity for either rider to gain ground on the other over a flat 198 kilometers.
The first of the major jerseys has been decided -- Anthony Charteau of France is the King of the Mountains -- and Schleck has the white jersey for best young rider all but locked up.
Although Schleck insisted he still had a chance, he was also looking to the future.
"I've got everything that it takes, I've got the best skills to win the Tour. Maybe next year, maybe two years, but I want to win it, that's for sure," he said late on Thursday.
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