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STAGE 13: CAVENDISH MAKES IT FOUR! WINS STAGE 13 OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE
AFP & Road Bike Action
July 18, 2008
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Britain's Mark Cavendish, riding for Team Columbia, won the 13th stage of the Tour de France, a 182.5km stage from Narbonne to Nimes. Cavendish scored his fourth stage win of the event as he again proved master of the frenetic sprint, edging out Australian Robbie McEwen of Silence and Frenchman Romain Feillu of Agritubel to finish in 4hr 25min 42sec.
Cavendish is only 23-years-old and riding in his second Tour de France. He hails from the Isle of Man, and had already made history on Thursday when he became the first ever Briton to claim three stage wins in a single edition of the Tour, overtaking former British great Barry Hoban.
Barry Hoban raced the Tour de France from 1967-1975 and won eight stages total, including both climbing and sprint stages.
The success of Cavendish is littered with the terrible news that Riccardo Ricco cheated at the Tour de France and had to hold back his emotions after his third stage win, when asked why anyone should believe that he, and the rest of the field, are not using drugs:
"I think in any aspect of life you're going to get people who think they are more clever than the system, whether it's cycling or any other sport or even in business," he said.
"I'm in this sport because it's one I love and feel passionate about. I put in a lot of hard work and want to get the best out of that hard work. I don't want to tarnish the sport that I love.
"Cycling's not just a job, it's a passion. Maybe the people who resort to doping don't have the passion that myself and a lot of other people have."
Cavendish added: "It (cheating) is not just in cycling, it's in every sport and every aspect of life."
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