The Columbia cycling team proved on Wednesday that they can prevail in the sprint regardless of how many rival teams try to unseat them.
In spite of Team Milram trying to uncouple the Columbia train rolling into Saint Fargeau, the US-based cycling outfit set up Mark Cavendish for another stage win just ahead of Washington's own Tyler Farrar on Garmin.
The victory marked the Brit's fourth in the 2009 Tour de France and the eighth in his career. In winning, he equaled the British record of eight Tour stage wins held for more than 30 years by Barry Hoban.
Third Tour
While Hoban won his stages over a period of nine years, the 24-year-old from the Isle of Man accomplished it in three years of racing the Tour de France. Actually, you can hardly count his first year, 2007. He crashed in stages 1 and 2 that year and abandoned the race in Stage 8 as the peloton entered the Alps.
As amazing as eight stage wins is over a two-year span, Cavendish has a long way to go to match the overall Tour record of 34 career stage wins by Eddy Merckx.
Uncoupled
Although Columbia's George Hincapie, Tony Martin and Mark Renshaw helped control the peloton in the final couple of miles, Team Milram tried to unhitch the line of Columbia riders.
It worked only briefly, as the stronger Columbia riders passed them up and delivered Cavendish to the final kilometer. Thor Hushovd tried to hang onto Cavendish, but couldn't. Farrar nearly pulled up alongside but couldn't get ahead.
The win also amassed enough points for Cavendish to get back the green jersey. The overall leaders remained unchanged, with Rinaldo Nocentini leading by 6 seconds over Alberto Contador and 8 seconds over Lance Armstrong.
Breakaway
Johan Van Summeren (Silence-Lotto) and Marcin Sapa (Lampre-NGC) attacked about 18 miles into the race and gained a margin of more than 4 minutes before Columbia took up the chase, with AG2R, Garmin and Rabobank helping at times. They were caught about 3 miles from the finish line.
Stage 11 from Vatan to Saint Fargeau was another essentially flat stage of 119 miles, with two category 5 and two category 4 climbs. One more stage until the peloton reaches the Alps on Friday.
US cyclist Christian Vande Velde crashed about 11 miles into the race, but finished.
Top 10 overall
1. Rinaldo Nocentini,
AG2R
2. Alberto Contador, Astana – 6
seconds
3. Lance Armstrong, Astana – 8
seconds
4. Levi Leipheimer, Astana – 39
seconds
5. Bradley Wiggins, Garmin – 46
seconds
6. Andreas Kloden, Astana — 54
seconds
7. Tony Martin, Columbia –
1:00
8. Christian Vande Velde, Garmin –
1:24
9. Andy Schleck, Saxo Bank –
1:49
10. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas – 1:54
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