Cavendish takes advantage of rival’s mistake
ANGERS, FRANCE— Mark Cavendish showed off his sprinting experience by edging German rival Andre Greipel in a photo finish to win the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday.
World champion Peter Sagan held on to the race leader’s yellow jersey he claimed a day earlier.
Having also won Saturday’s opening stage at Utah Beach, it was Cavendish’s second victory in this Tour and 28th overall. The British rider matched five-time Tour champion Bernard Hinault for second on the all-time list behind Eddy Merckx, who had a record 34 stage wins at the Tour.
“To even be mentioned in the same sentence as Bernard Hinault is something I couldn’t even have dreamed of,” Cavendish said.
On a very slightly uphill finish, Cavendish kept pedalling to the line while Greipel, who was ahead, put his head down a bit too early.
Neither rider knew who won immediately.
Greipel started celebrating, raising his left finger to the sky, but then quickly took it down. Cavendish clenched his fist briefly and then just fiddled with his bike computer until the victory was confirmed — then started celebrating wildly.
“I normally know when I win or I lose. When I crossed the line, I knew I got it today,” Cavendish said. “But I was quite lucky to just get him.”
Bryan Coquard of France crossed third, while Sagan was fourth.
“I just made one mistake and it was a reflex to go into the biggest gear,” Greipel said. “If I had kept it in the gear I had then I think I would have made it.”
Sagan remained eight seconds ahead of Julian Alaphilippe of France and 10 seconds in front of Alejandro Valverde of Spain. Defending champion Chris Froome moved up one spot to fourth overall, 14 seconds behind Sagan.
Cavendish clocked nearly six hours as the Tour moved out of the Normandy region over a southeasterly 223.5-kilometre route that concluded in Angers, in the Anjou region of the Loire valley.
On the winner’s podium, Cavendish was greeted by the 61-year-old Hinault, now at his final Tour in an ambassador role.
Stage 4 Tuesday is the race’s longest, a slightly more challenging 237.5 leg from Saumur to Limoges.