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TOULOUSE, France: Britain’s Mark Cavendish reinforced his claim to
be the world’s fastest man on two wheels by claiming his second
stage win on the Tour de France here on Saturday.
Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen, also of the Columbia
team, retained the race leader’s yellow jersey six seconds ahead
of Australian Cadel Evans ahead of Sunday’s first day in the high
mountains.
After a rain-lashed day of racing out of the
Massif Central towards the foot of the Pyrenees Cavendish’s team
once again proved strongest in the final kilometers of the 172.5km
eighth stage which began in Figeac.
Setting up a “train” to help deliver
Cavendish to the finish with as much punch in his legs as possible,
the 23-year-old from the Isle of Man repaid their efforts with a
victorious drive across the line.
In second place was Cavendish’s lead-out man,
former under-23 world champion Gerald Ciolek of Germany, while
Frenchman Jimmy Casper took third place ahead of Spain’s
three-time world champion Oscar Freire.
Cavendish’s maiden stage win on the Tour came
in similar fashion on the fifth stage at Chateauroux, after which
he claimed that with a team like his to help him, he couldn’t help
being the “best sprinter in the world.”
Ahead of potentially race-changing stages in the
Pyrenees, Columbia, have become the dominant force on the Tour—a
fact Cavendish was quick to confirm after their disciplined lead-out
train worked again to perfection.
“It was brilliant. Once again you can see how
well my team performed,” said Cavendish.
“They nursed me back after I dropped off the
back on the third category climb, they controlled the day, brought
in the breakaway and then led me out excellently.
“The flat run in was ideally suited for us and
you can see how well Gerald did to lead me out because he took
second. To hold on to the yellow jersey and to get both first and
second in the stage—it can’t really get any better can it?”
Ahead of two days of tough climbing in the
Pyrenees, the yellow jersey battle took a virtual back seat leading
the peloton gradually toward the foot of the mountains.
Early attacks were kept on a tight leash, and it
took the determination of Laurent Lefevre to finally break the
peloton’s resistance.
After being at the front over three small climbs
he was joined by Euskaltel’s Amets Txurruka, Bouygues Telecom
teammate Jerome Pineau and Christophe Riblon finally joined him.
But their five-minute lead at the halfway stage
was eventually slashed after the Credit Agricole team of sprinter
Thor Hushovd and Freire’s Rabobank team took over the chase.
-- AFP
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