Cavendish claims victory

• Source: Global Times
• [07:21 July 15 2009]
• Comments

British rider Mark Cavendish won his third stage of this year's Tour de France and his seventh in three participations after out-sprinting Norway's Thor Hushovd in Issoudun yesterday.

Columbia-High Road’s Mark Cavendish jubilates on the finish line. Photo: AFP

American Tyler Farrer was third while Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.

Before the start of the stage, organizers, following agreement with the International Cycling Union, banned the all-important race radios which allow team managers to talk to their riders throughout the race for two stages this year.

On the first stage in years to be held entirely without the radio earpieces, through which team managers can communicate in their cars to the riders, a four-man group broke away early in the 194.5-kilometer stage between Limoges to Issoudun.

But despite the apparent snail's pace being maintained by the pack for much of the race, they were still able to keep the three Frenchmen and one Russian rider in their sights.

Having reached a maximum lead of nearly four minutes, the teams of the sprinters aiming to organize a bunch finish moved to the front to help bring the lead down to 1 minute 32 seconds with 79 kilometers to go.

With only 20 kilometers from the finish and with only a 28 seconds lead the quartet of Benoit Vaugrenard, Samuel Dumoulin, Thierry Hupond and Mikhail Ignatiev were within the pack's sights.

They put in a final effort over the first 10 kilometers of the distance to the finish to push their lead back up to 38 seconds. But with Columbia, Milram, Quick Step and Liquigas taking turns at the front of the chasing bunch, it was only a matter of time before they would be reeled in and Cavendish took full advantage of it.

Agencies