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STAGE 5: CAVENDISH MAKES IT HAPPEN ON STAGE 5
Road Bike Action and AFP
July 9, 2008
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The diminutive sprinter from the Isle of Man, Mark Cavendish of the Columbia team, won the fifth stage of the Tour de France, a 232km ride between Cholet and Chateauroux on Wednesday. Germany's Stefan Schumacher of Gerolsteiner holds the overall leader's yellow jersey with Cavendish teammate, Kim Kirchen in second slot.
Cavendish won a sprint finish ahead of Spaniard Oscar Freire and Germany's Erik Zabel after the longest stage of the race at 234 kilometerss. Norway's Thor Hushovd finished fourth with Australian Robbie McEwen crossing in eighth position. The peloton caught French champion Nicolas Vogondy in the final 50m after a long breakaway lead with two other French riders Florent Brard and Lilian Jegou. The three were off the front all day but couldn't pull it out.
Cavendish finally got the Tour stage win he was hoping for and said," You know I was anxious to get a stage win here and my team was as well....We came really close other times, but today we are standing on top of the podium."
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