CAVENDISH POWERS TO FOURTH STAGE WIN IN TOUR

A baking hot day in southern France saw Mark Cavendish scorch to a fourth stage win in the Tour on Friday. Despite temperatures of over thirty degrees centigrade, the Columbia pro powered across the line more than two bike lengths clear of Australian Robbie McEwen and Romain Feillu of France. For the 23-year-old Britain, his stage win in Nimes is his eleventh road win of the season the same total as he took in the whole of 2007.

“I had to do it in two accelerations.” Cavendish confirmed. “First I kicked out with 150 metres to go and then again closer to the line.”

“For sure my first stage win here was my favourite, but this one was the hardest.”
Referring to what he learned from his track experience, Cavendish said “When I accelerate out of the pack I can usually hold it all the way to the line. Normally I can keep that distance and that’s what I did today.”

“I don’t do anything special to improve my sprints, except maybe kick out a bit at the end of each training ride.”

Cavendish thanked his team, as usual, “for doing a brilliant job in getting me up there to the final kilometre. They worked hard and did everything to get me up there and keep me out of the wind all the way up to my sprint. I love these guys like they’re my brothers.”

Given his crushing superiority in the Tour’s sprints, Cavendish said “It’s unfortunate for the other guys, but even though I’ve won four stages, I’m not as consistent as others though that’s why I’m not leading in the points competition.”

Asked about the right  elbow injury and the bandages that still cover it he said “It doesn’t hurt when I sprint, just on the rougher bits of the roads.”

He finished by joking “this is the Tour de France, I’m being a bit soft, I’ve got to wear all these bandages for the television.”