Mark Cavendish wins Tour de France stage 11
Another day in the Tour de France, another win to star sprinter Mark Cavendish. His eighth career win and fourth this year, in yet another bunch sprint after an early breakaway failed in stage 11, equals the British record for Tour wins by Barry Hoban.
The Belgian Johan Van Summeren of the Silence Lotto team and Polishman Marcin Sapa of Lampre-NGC were the two riders who tried to stretch a long breakaway started 165km into the 192km from Vatan to Saint-Fargeau, but as with most other such attempts in the 2009 race the peloton reeled them in before the finish to allow the sprinters to fight for the green jersey for the best sprinter.
Cavendish will be wearing that green jersey again tomorrow after consigning former wearer Thor Hushovd of Cervelo Test Team to fifth in stage 10.
As with all stages this week, the general classifications did not change, leaving Rinaldo Nocentini wearing yellow but with Team Astana rivals Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong in second and third, still vying for leadership of the dominant team in the race through both racing and the media.
