The doubters said there was no way he could continue his dominance from last year. The disbelievers said that there was no way he could bounce back from his missed opportunity in stage 4. The competitors were beginning to become more concerned with other sprinters, feeling he would continue in his slump. And Mark Cavendish kept rolling on. Cavendish got the monkey off his back Thursday afternoon with a perfectly executed sprint to get him back on track for the Tour. Though their signature train was disrupted multiple times into the finish, HTC still managed to get the perfect leadout for Cavendish mainly on a great performance from Mark Renshaw. Garmin-Transitions put their own leadout train right between Columbia's, leaving Renshaw and Cavendish separated from the rest. Renshaw was able to get Cavendish onto his back wheel, and then take him around the tricky final corner and into the striking zone. Cavendish accelerated once and nobody was able to even get to his back wheel after that. Cavendish emphatically fist-pumped as he crossed the line and was clearly very emotional after his win.
This may be just what the doctor ordered for the Manx Missile, as he will probably regain his confidence that he is still the fastest sprinter in the world. As for the rest of the field, it was a good day for Green Jersey Thor Hushovd, who extended his lead for the points competition. He lost some ground to Cavendish, but has enough of a lead on him that Cavendish wasn't his greatest worry for the day. White and polka dot jersey (Thomas and Pineau) also stayed the same. More importantly, Cancellara kept his yellow jersey for yet another night. He may have only one more additional night in it, so he was very happy to remain in the limelight.
The doubters said there was no way he could continue his dominance from last year. The disbelievers said that there was no way he could bounce back from his missed opportunity in stage 4. The competitors were beginning to become more concerned with other sprinters, feeling he would continue in his slump. And Mark Cavendish kept rolling on. Cavendish got the monkey off his back Thursday afternoon with a perfectly executed sprint to get him back on track for the Tour. Though their signature train was disrupted multiple times into the finish, HTC still managed to get the perfect leadout for Cavendish mainly on a great performance from Mark Renshaw. Garmin-Transitions put their own leadout train right between Columbia's, leaving Renshaw and Cavendish separated from the rest. Renshaw was able to get Cavendish onto his back wheel, and then take him around the tricky final corner and into the striking zone. Cavendish accelerated once and nobody was able to even get to his back wheel after that. Cavendish emphatically fist-pumped as he crossed the line and was clearly very emotional after his win.
This may be just what the doctor ordered for the Manx Missile, as he will probably regain his confidence that he is still the fastest sprinter in the world. As for the rest of the field, it was a good day for Green Jersey Thor Hushovd, who extended his lead for the points competition. He lost some ground to Cavendish, but has enough of a lead on him that Cavendish wasn't his greatest worry for the day. White and polka dot jersey (Thomas and Pineau) also stayed the same. More importantly, Cancellara kept his yellow jersey for yet another night. He may have only one more additional night in it, so he was very happy to remain in the limelight.
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