Sprint king out of tour

MARK Cavendish’s hopes of beating Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins on the Tour de France were put on hold when the British sprinter was sensationally eliminated from the Tour de France.

Cavendish, of the Dimension Data team and with 30 wins, only just managed to stay in the 105th edition of the race after struggling to make the time cut on Tuesday’s 10th stage.

But the second of three days in the French Alps proved a step too far for the Isle of Man sprinter.