2010 Tour de France Stage 5 News
Explosive Cavendish picks up 11th Tour stage victory
Mark Cavendish, a beaten man, had pulled up just before the finish line in Reims, conceding victory to the resurgent Alessandro Petacchi. But here, given a perfect lead-out by Mark Renshaw just like in the good ol' days of last summer, Cavendish roared home with his first stage victory of 2010. In between, his frustration boiled over and he had thrown a major bike - and helmet-flinging hissy fit, prompting the French sports newspaper L'Equipe to re-christen the Manx Missile - Cavendish hails from the Isle of Man - as Le Pyromane for his increasingly explosive temperament.
Link:
Explosive Cavendish picks up 11th Tour stage victory | Sports | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Throwing elbows part of the job for Renshaw
As Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) rode towards his eleventh Tour de France stage win, the wheel he followed throughout the final, hectic kilometres belonged to the rider who has now guided him to seven of those victories - Mark Renshaw. While last year Renshaw tended to follow a teammate in the well-drilled HTC-Columbia train before sprinting and dropping off Cavendish at around 200m to go, the finale into Montargis saw more of a free-for-all, and Renshaw needed to be physical as well as fast.
Link:
Throwing Elbows Part Of The Job For Renshaw | Cyclingnews.com
Tears flow as the Manx Missile strikes to claim stage win in Tour
Isle of Man sprinter Mark Cavendish gave the Tour de France the most emotional stage win in years when he collapsed in tears after his breakthrough victory in Thursday’s stage five. Cavendish (HTC Columbia), 24, won the 187.5km stage from Epernay to Montargis in a mass sprint from German Gerald Ciolek (Milram) and Norwegian up-and-comer Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky).
Link:
Mark Cavendish | Tour de France stage 5
Lance Armstrong Facing Hecklers, Doubting Press
As the Tour de France settles into a more normal first-week routine of long breakaway attempts and nervy sprint finishes, the cycling press has time to wonder: did a flat tire on Tuesday's chaotic cobblestoned stage doom Lance Armstrong's chance to win his final Tour? He lies in 18th place overall, which is meaningless, but more importantly he's given up 50 seconds to his main rival, Alberto Contador, before the high mountain sections have even begun. That gives Contador a huge advantage that some already see as too much to overcome.
Link:
Lance Armstrong Facing Hecklers and a Doubting Press - New York News - Runnin' Scared
Emotional Cavendish puts woes behind him
The Manxman had been unimpressive in Wednesday’s stage, failing to match the speed of his sprinting rivals, but he was a transformed rider heading into the historic town of Montargis. His HTC Columbia team worked hard to bring back a long-distance break by Jurgen van de Walle (QuickStep), Jose Ivan Gutierrez (Caisse d’Epargne) and Julian El Fares (Cofidis), bringing things together with three kilometres to go. And while the rival Garmin Transitions team took over and tried to usher sprinter Tyler Farrar to victory, Cavendish had the speed, commitment and determination to ****** the win.
Link:
Emotional Cavendish puts woes behind him - The Irish Times - Fri, Jul 09, 2010
Lance gives praise
Alberto Contador paid Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack bus a visit before Thursday's Stage 5 to present the Texan with a commemorative watch from the 2009 Tour, which Contador won. Armstrong, who finished third last year, was one of his teammates for Astana. Armstrong said that he did not see Contador when the Spaniard went to see him because he was "in the back of the bus, in the middle of something else." Later on Thursday after Armstrong finished 30th in the stage, he spoke about Contador's skill on the bike.
Link:
Cycling Blog - Shiftinggears | Tour notes: Lance gives praise | Universal Sports
Cavendish opens up at Tour de France
MARK Cavendish collapsed in a wave of emotions after stage five redemption on the Tour de France. The Isle of Man sprinter was expertly trucked into winning position by Bathurst's Mark Renshaw to banish personal and professional demons. The winner of six Tour stages in 2009, Cavendish had struggled to compete with Italian Alessandro Petacchi and Norwegian Thor Hushovd.
Link:
Mark Cavendish claims stage 5 of Tour de France | Herald Sun
Armstrong faces biggest 1-week deficit ever
One of the oddities of the Tour de France is that the riskiest and most pulse-pounding finishes, like Thursday's Stage 5 sprint, often barely cause more than a ripple in the general classification (GC, or overall standings), and have even less of an effect on the top contenders. For instance, Mark Cavendish won Stage 5, and thanks to the way Tour placings are scored, the field just behind Cavendish, containing all the overall contenders, was given the same finishing time.
Link:
Analysis: Armstrong faces biggest 1-week deficit ever - Tour de France- nbcsports.msnbc.com
Cavendish far from a spent force
AS the fifth stage of the Tour de France finished in the heart of the champagne region it should be Mark Cavendishs shout. The Manx Missile owes Mark Renshaw and Michael Rogers, the two Australian conductors on the HTC-Columbia train, and German Tony Martin big time. The record will show Cavendish won the 187.5km stage from Espernay to Montargis in four hours 30mins.50secs in a mad scramble to the finish.
Link:
Mark Cavendish far from a spent force | The Australian
Cav praises team for continuing to show faith
Mark Cavendish praised his HTC-Columbia team-mates for helping him open his 2010 Tour de France account with his 11th career stage win in Montargis this afternoon, saying that they did a “perfect job” in delivering him to the line, despite his opinion that he had let them down when he finished 12th in Reims yesterday. The Manxman timed his sprint today perfectly to see off the challenge of Milram’s Gerald Ciolek and Team Sky’s Edvald Boasson Hagen, and acknowledged the contribution of his lead-out man, saying “I just sat on Mark Renshaw’s wheel and I knew he’d deliver me to the right place and he did.”
Link:
Tour de France Stage 5 reaction: Cav praises team for continuing to show faith | road.cc | The website for pedal powered people: Road cycling, commuting, leisure cycling and racing
British Rider Brought to Tears by Stage 5 Victory
Red faced and sweaty from a 116.5-mile ride in the unrelenting sun and heat, he hugged his teammate Tony Martin as if he were a long-lost brother, squeezing with all his might. Then on the stage at the finish line, as the crowd cheered, his lip began quivering. He reached behind his green mirrored glasses to wipe away tears. But the tears kept coming. He wept on the podium, for everyone to see. Then he wept as he shook hands with French sports officials. Soon, he was weeping so hard that he was barely able to speak, so he buried his face in a towel
Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/sports/cycling/09tourdefrance.html
Tour de France: Cavendish weeps for joy after sprint win
He finally did it. Yesterday, in Montargis, Britain's Mark Cavendish was able to claim his eleventh Tour stage victory; it was his first of this year's race, and arguably the most important win of his career. His huge yell of triumph as he crossed the line over a bike's length from Germany's Gerald Ciolek, followed by almost non-stop tears of joy on the podium and in post-race interviews, confirmed just how badly he had wanted it.
Link:
Tour de France: Cavendish weeps for joy after sprint win - Others, More Sports - The Independent
Cavendish goes from dejection to elation
After yesterday's stage, perhaps no rider was more dejected than Mark Cavendish. Indeed, he was so frustrated that he dropped his bike and threw his helmet as he boarded the team bus. What he did once on the bus is anybody's guess, but it would not surprise me to learn that he proceeded to tear the upholstery from the seats and then block up the toilet for good measure. (Fortunately the keys were not in the ignition, because nothing's more dangerous than a bus driven by an irate Manxman.)
Link:
Cycling Blog - Tourtalk | Cavendish goes from dejection to elation | Universal Sports
Garmin-Transitions sprinter Farrar back in action
The Garmin-Transitions team produced its best lead out in Montargis but came up empty handed as Mark Cavendish and HTC-Columbia burst through the middle of the pack to bounce back and take their first win in this year’s Tour de France.
Link:
Garmin-Transitions Sprinter Farrar Back In Action | Cyclingnews.com
Cavendish aces Tour de France test, gets stage at last
Mark Cavendish won his first stage at this year's Tour de France with a clinical finish in Montargis. The HTC-Columbia sprinter was taken to the line by his entire team and finished ahead of Gerard Coilek (Milram) and Edvald Boassen Hagen (Team Sky).
Link:
Cavendish Aces Tour De France Test, Gets Stage At Last | Cyclingnews.com