Cavendish blames his gears for slipping at the very moment he needed them to sprint for the finish line
As he moved ahead in the closing 50m Cavendish looked to have the stage won, but then his speed stalled. Beyond the finish line he blamed his gears for slipping at the very moment when he needed them to run smoothly. “I was in a quite good position,” he said. “It might’ve looked like I was far back but I was okay in where I wanted to be. It’s a long straight finish.
“I’m bitterly disappointed there, but we keep on trying,” he said, before praising his Astana Qazaqstan teammates. “There was an improvement in how the boys were so you can be positive with it.” As the peloton left the Pyrenees behind and raced through the flatlands of the Landes and Gironde and on towards the banks of the Garonne, most of the sprinters breathed a sigh of relief after surviving two torrid days of attacking racing in the high mountains.
Earlier, with 50km left to race, Cavendish had been forced to chase back to the peloton after a bike change, with Philipsen’s key teammate Mathieu van der Poel alongside him, but both riders managed to rejoin the field.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jasper Philipsen denies Mark Cavendish Tour de France recordPhilipsen made it three wins from three sprint stages in-a-row.
Read more »
Sam Bennett back in action after disappointment of missing out on Tour de FranceCarrick-on-Suir rider, who was passed over for the Tour by his Bora-Hansgrohe team, has a chance to show his form at Sibiu Tour in Romania
Read more »
Rick Astley announces Irish tour dates - VIP MagazineYes, the Never Gonna Give You Up star will play in The SSE Arena in Belfast on March 4th and Dublin's 3Arena on March 5th.
Read more »
Tadej Pogacar hits back to win stage six of Tour de France and close on VingegaardSlovenian came out fighting at mountain finish to Cauterets-Cambasque
Read more »
Sam Bennett sends message with victory in RomaniaCyclist bounces back after his non-selection for the Tour de France
Read more »
Gardaí warn Taylor Swift fans to be aware of unregulated vendors selling Eras tour ticketsGardaí have advised Irish Taylor Swift fans to be aware of unregulated online vendors ahead of the sale of tickets for the singer's Eras tour in Dublin
Read more »