CYCLING TOUR DE FRANCE:BOY WONDER did it again yesterday, and this time he was confident enough to cross the finish line at 40mph miming a phone call with one hand while pointing to the logo of his team's new co-sponsor, a mobile phone company, with the other. At this point in his young career, Mark Cavendish isn't missing a trick.
As a result of a sensational collective attack by his Columbia- HTC colleagues in the last 30km of the third stage of the 2009 Tour de France, Cavendish was again put in the perfect position to unleash his sprint, and again he won going away.
This time the margin over his nearest pursuer, the experienced Thor Hushovd, was barely a bike’s length, but by the time he hit the timing beam he was rising out of his crouch to mime the message to his sponsor.
This was the Manxman’s sixth stage win in his short Tour career, and his second this year, coming 24 hours after victory in Brignoles, and last night he became the first British rider to retain the points leader’s green jersey. There seem to be few sprinter’s records that he cannot challenge.
“There’s eight sprint days in this Tour and hopefully we can win more than last year,” he said. Last year he won four.
Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey, but Lance Armstrong also latched on to the break initiated by Cavendish’s team-mates, and the seven-times winner vaulted from 10th to third place in the general classification as a result.
Hot favourite Alberto Contador, who was trapped after Team Columbia’s move, dropped to fourth overall.
Spaniard Contador, named Astana’s team leader ahead of Armstrong, slipped 19 seconds behind the 37-year-old Texan.
“I am not okay with that theory saying there can be only one team leader,” said Armstrong. “I have won seven Tours de France, I will have to be counted in.”
Astana sports director Alain Gallopin said there would not be any problems within the team even though Armstrong has somehow upset the hierarchy.
“There are no troubles at all in our team, it’s even the contrary,” he said. “If there had been Armstrong and (Saxo Bank’s) Andy Schleck up front, that would have been a problem.
“There will be no problem tonight or tomorrow.”
Contador said what happened yesterday was unlikely to change his fate.
“I do not want to comment on the tactics of the team,” he said. “Everyone can draw their own conclusions. Anyway, the Tour will not be decided with what has happened today. It’s just a race incident.”
should Astana smash the competition in today’s team time trial, Armstrong could snatch the yellow jersey.
“Never say never,” the American said.
The peloton split into two around 40km from the finish after a sudden burst of acceleration by Team Columbia in strong crosswinds which surprised nearly all the favourites.
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** Nicolas Roche had started the stage motivated by his eighth-place on Sunday and was prominent in the main bunch, but also missed out when the split occurred in the final hour of racing. The Ag2r La Mondiale rider was stranded in the peloton and eventually rolled across the line as part of the pack, 41 seconds back. He placed 75th.
The Irish road race champion is now 47th overall, two minutes and eight seconds behind Cancellara, and is a solid eighth in the best young rider competition.
Roche’s Ag2r squad team is likely to lose time to the bigger outfits in today’s time trial, but he will aim to move up the general classification again over the next few days.
