Cavendish toasts team-mates after points prize chance opens
FORMER Commonwealth champion Mark Cavendish credited his Omega Pharma Quick-Step team-mates for helping him win the Tour of Britain’s fourth stage yesterday.
Cavendish spearheaded an 11-man breakaway group which formed following the start in Stoke-on-Trent, but merged with the peloton once again within 800m of the finish line in Llanoris.
But the 28-year-old broke free and thanked his team-mates for helping to usher him over the line in four hours, 45 minutes, 42 seconds.
“Without the guys there would be no way I was there,” he said. “The Bardiani [Valvole CSF Inox] guys went and I humped on to them. Then [Matteo] Pelucchi from IAM Cycling went and I jumped on to him.
“I was kind of hopping in the last 500m, but I am really happy.”
Cavendish is now third in the overall points standings, four behind Ella Viviani of Cannondale.
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Sir Bradley Wiggins finished inside the peloton to retain his general classification 37-second lead from Team Sky team-mate Ian Stannard.
The Tour continues today with stage five raced over 177.1km between Caerphilly and Machynlleth in Wales.