Cavendish benefitted from having the most-organized lead-out in professional cycling; big George Hincapie pulled from almost a kilometer out, then Mark Renshaw took over. None of the other teams could even form up, coming through the narrow twisting turns of the town of Issoudun.
Garmin sprinter Tyler Farrar did his best to break up the Columbia charge, but he ended up behind Cervelo’s Thor Hushovd, who got Cavendish’s back wheel.
Cavendish launched early, perhaps 300 meters from the line, and had to kick twice to hold off thundering Thor, but on a level road with the line in sight, no man on the planet is faster than Mark Cavendish.
This is Cav’s third stage win in this Tour. With two more flat stages, he has a chance to make it five overall.
The General Classification changed only minimally. Rinaldo Nocentini retained the yellow jersey, and Levi Leipheimer moved into fifth, giving Team Astana four riders in the top five.
Easier Stage
After three hard days in the Pyrennes, the Tour moved into the plains of Central France.
Stage Ten, 194.5 km from Limoges to Issoudun, rolls over the hills of the Limousin region, ending with a long flat road to the finish, perfect for setting up a sprint. However, July 14 is Bastille Day, the French National Holiday, and on Bastille Day French riders always try to escape the peloton and take a win for the Tricolore.
French pride aside, the big sprinters’ teams, Rabobank with Oscar Freire, Cervelo with Thor Hushovd, Garmin with Tyler Fararr, and of course Columbia with Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish—were determined not to let any escape spoil their contest at the line.
Despite Team Astana apparently working well without a designated leader, the press has been seeing competition between Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador everywhere. Where did they sit on the airplane? Did they sit together on the team bus?
