Tour de France 2011

Manx cat pounces again: Cavendish takes 4th stage win

Team Columbia's Mark Cavendish continues to dominate the sprints of this year's Tour, today riding away from the field to take his 4th stage win of the 2008 Tour.

It was clearly a day for the sprinters, but former French champion Florent Brard and Milram's Belgian track star Niki Terpstra spent most of the day in a breakaway that took top points at all the day's intermediate climbs and sprints.

Milram, Liquigas and Columbia powered the peloton in the final kilometers, but the orderly leadout trains tangled up in the last 1000 meters, leaving a classic field sprint.

Silence-Lotto's Robbie McEwen, who has been largely invisible so far this year, marked the Manxman's wheel in the final 200 meters, but just couldn't ramp up the horsepower to get by Cavendish. It's the 6th career stage win for Cavendish, just 22.

Top 10, Stage 13:
1. Mark Cavendish, Columbia, Great Britain, in 4:25:42
2. Robbie McEwen, Silence-Lotto, Australia, same time
3. Romain Feillu, Agritubel, France, s.t.
4. Heinrich Haussler, Gerolsteiner, Germany, s.t.
5. Oscar Freire, Rabobank, Spain, s.t.
6. Thor Hushovd, Credit Agricole, Norway, s.t.
7. Leonardo Duque, Cofidis, Colombia, s.t.
8. Erik Zabel, Milram, Germany, s.t.
9. Julian Dean, Garmin-Chipotle, New Zealand, s.t.
10. Sebastian Chavanel, Française des Jeux, France, s.t.

Freire will extend his gap on Thor Hushovd in the green jersey race, while Cavendish moves into a tie with Hushovd at 2nd.

Niki Terpstra takes the aggressive rider red number for today's stage.

The overall is unchanged, as well.

General Classification, after Stage 13:
1. Cadel Evans, Silence-Lotto, Australia, in 56:48:47
2. Fränk Schleck, CSC-Saxo Bank, Luxembourg, @ :01
3. Christian Vande Velde, Garmin-Chipotle, USA, @ :38
4. Bernhard Kohl, Gerolsteiner, Germany, @ :46
5. Denis Menchov, Rabobank, Russia, @ :57
6. Carlos Sastre, CSC-Saxo Bank, Span, @ 1:28
7. Kim Kirchen, Columbia, Luxembourg, @ 1:56
8. Vladimir Efimkin, AG2R-La Mondiale, Russia, @ 2:32
9. Mikel Astarloza, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Spain, @ 3:51
10. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas, Italy, @ 4:18

Stage 13 on the road

It's a flat stage from Narbonne to Nimes a few miles in from the Mediterranean. Three small 4th-Category climbs, then 2 intermediate sprints, and a sprint-friendly finish.

Jersey leaders:
Cadel Evans, Silence-Lotto
Oscar Freire, Rabobank
Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas
Sebastian Lang, Gerolsteiner

Vs. broadcaster picks:
• Sherwen: Mark Cavendish
• Liggett: Oscar Freire
• Roll: Robert Forster
• Hummer: Thor Hushovd

Milram's Niki Terpstra and former French champion Florent Brard of Cofidis are the day's first break. Terpstra sits 1:40:19 behind Cadel Evans in 125th overall, Brard is another 9 minutes behind that.

The pair had a 9:55 lead with just 21 kilometers ridden, but they've been reeled in a bit since then.

1st Climb, 4th Category:
1. Florent Brard, Cofidis, 3 pts
2. Niki Terpstra, Milram, 2 pts
3. Sebastian Lang, Gerolsteiner, 1 pt, @ 6:45

Lang grabs the last available point to add to his advantage in the King of the Mountains competition, which he regained with the exit of Riccardo Ricco and David de la Fuente yesterday.

At the 2nd climb, Brard again led Terpstra over the top, and Bernhard Kohl took the single point left for the field, crossing 4:10 behind Brard.

2nd Climb, 4th Category:
1. Florent Brard, Cofidis, 3 pts
2. Niki Terpstra, Milram, 2 pts
3. Bernhard Kohl, Gerolsteiner, 1 pt

3rd Climb, 4th Category:
1. Florent Brard, Cofidis, 3 pts
2. Niki Terpstra, Milram, 2 pts
3. Sebastian Lang, Gerolsteiner, 1 pt

Lang will hold the mountains jersey for at least another day. The gap has fallen below 3 minutes. It appears Terpstra and Brard will stay away through our first intermediate sprint line, just ahead, with the field 1:45 back. As the field approaches the line, Juan Antonio Flecha jumps from the field, and protects teammate Freire by taking the final points at the line.

1st Sprint, Villevieille:
1. Niki Terpstra, Milram, 6 pts
2. Florent Brard, Cofidis, 4 pts
3. Juan Antonio Flecha, Rabobank, 2 pts @ 1:40

Before the 2nd sprint, Flecha again attacked, joined by Brard's teammate Stephan Auge. Terpstra has dropped Brard and opened a healthy gap by the time he reaches the line.

2nd Sprint:
1. Niki Terpstra, Milram, 6 pts
2. Florent Brard, Cofidis, 4 pts, @ :15
3. Stephan Auge, Cofidis, 2 pts, @ :30

The pack was 1:10 behind, but the gap went up to 1:40 with 30km to ride. Flecha returned to the field, and Auge and Brard were caught, but Terpstra continues to lead the race by around a minute.