July 18, 2008 (Nîmes, France) – A baking hot day in southern France saw Team Columbia’s Mark Cavendish scorch to a fourth stage win in the Tour on Friday – Narbonne to Nîmes, 182km. Despite temperatures of over thirty degrees centigrade, the Columbia pro powered across the line more than two bike lengths clear of Australian Robbie McEwen and Romain Feillu of France.

For the 23-year-old Britain, his stage win in Nimes is his eleventh road win of the season – the same total as he took in the whole of 2007 “I had to do it in two accelerations,” Cavendish confirmed. “First I kicked out with 150 metres to go and then again closer to the line.”

“For sure my first stage win here was my favourite, but this one was the hardest.” Referring to what he learned from his track experience, Cavendish said “When I accelerate out of the pack I can usually hold it all the way to the line. Normally I can keep that distance and that’s what I did today.”

“I don’t do anything special to improve my sprints, except maybe kick out a bit at the end of each training ride.” Cavendish thanked his team, as usual, “for doing a brilliant job in getting me up there to the final kilometer. They worked hard and did everything to get me up there and keep me out of the wind all the way up to my sprint. I love these guys like they’re my brothers.”

Given his crushing superiority in the Tour’s sprints, Cavendish said “It’s unfortunate for the other guys, but even though I’ve won four stages, I’m not as consistent as others though – that’s why I’m not leading in the Points competition.”

Asked about the right elbow injury and the bandages that still cover it he said “It doesn’t hurt when I sprint, just on the rougher bits of the roads.” He finished by joking “this is the Tour de France, I’m being a bit soft, I’ve got to wear all these bandages for the television.”

Results

1. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia 4.25.42 (41.10 km/h)
2. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence – Lotto
3. Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
4. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
5. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
6. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
7. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone
8. Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
9. Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
10. Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
11. Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld
12. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step
13. I̱aki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel РEuskadi
14. Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
15. Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
16. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom
17. Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
18. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre
19. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
20. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel
21. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
22. David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
23. Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel
24. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
25. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
26. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
27. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia
28. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia
29. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
30. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
31. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone
32. William Bonnet (Fra) Crédit Agricole
33. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia
34. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence – Lotto
35. Matteo Carrara (Ita) Quick Step
36. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia
37. Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto
38. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank
39. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank
40. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre
41. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia
42. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole
43. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia
44. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre
45. Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
46. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux
47. Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
48. Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence – Lotto
49. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence – Lotto
50. Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
51. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
52. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner
53. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale
54. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
55. Christopher Froome (Ken) Barloworld
56. Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
57. Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
58. Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram
59. José Iván Gutierrez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
60. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
61. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
62. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank
63. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre
64. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
65. Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis – Le Crédit par Téléphone
66. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
67. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner
68. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
69. Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank
70. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
71. Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa) Agritubel
72. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0.11
73. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
74. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
75. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas
76. Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole
77. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
78. Christophe Le Mével (Fra) Crédit Agricole
79. Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
80. Dario David Cioni (Ita) Silence – Lotto
81. Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 0.15
82. Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre
83. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre
84. Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
85. Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française des Jeux
86. David López García (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
87. Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole
88. Stef Clement (Ned) Bouygues Telecom
89. José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale
90. Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step
91. Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
92. David Le Lay (Fra) Agritubel
93. Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
94. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) Barloworld
95. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone
96. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Crédit Agricole
97. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
98. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Milram
99. Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
100. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
101. Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
102. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Silence – Lotto
103. Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank
104. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
105. Juan Jos̩ Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel РEuskadi
106. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone
107. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
108. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
109. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas
110. Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas
111. Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre
112. Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas
113. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel
114. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
115. Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
116. José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
117. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner
118. David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
119. Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence – Lotto
120. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC – Saxo Bank
121. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
122. David Moncouti̩ (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone
123. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
124. Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram
125. Johann Tschopp (Swi) Bouygues Telecom
126. Gorka Verdugo Markotegi (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
127. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux
128. Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
129. Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
130. Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld
131. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
132. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre
133. Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step
134. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Agritubel 0.29
135. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas
136. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Team Milram 0.34
137. Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux 0.39
138. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 0.46
139. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Crédit Agricole 1.17
140. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia 1.19
141. Freddy Bichot (Fra) Agritubel 1.21
142. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia
143. Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence – Lotto 1.48
144. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
145. Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram 2.27
146. Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram
147. St̩phane Aug̩ (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 2.4
148. Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
149. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank
150. Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre
151. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Crédit Agricole
152. Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Française des Jeux
153. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 3.34
154. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone
155. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
156. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux 7.17
157. Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) Française des Jeux
158. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 15.12

GC after Stage 13

1. Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence – Lotto 54.48.47
2. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 0.01
3. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 0.38
4. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.46
5. Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.57
6. Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 1.28
7. Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team Columbia 1.56
8. Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale 2.32
9. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 3.51
10. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas 4.18
11. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 4.26
12. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 4.41
13. Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 5.23
14. Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre 5.37
15. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 6.01
16. Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Crédit Agricole 6.07
17. Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner 6.26
18. Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 7.07
19. Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas 7.11
20. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 8.45
21. Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank 9.23
22. Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis – Le Crédit par Téléphone 11.49
23. Matteo Carrara (Ita) Quick Step 11.59
24. Sandy Casar (Fra) Française des Jeux 13
25. Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre 13.24
26. Stijn Devolder (Bel) Quick Step 13.51
27. Dmitriy Fofonov (Kaz) Crédit Agricole 14.15
28. Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia 16.02
29. Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram 16.39
30. Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner 18.08
31. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence – Lotto 18.09
32. Eduardo Gonzalo Ramirez (Spa) Agritubel 18.15
33. Stéphane Goubert (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 20.21
34. Koos Moerenhout (Ned) Rabobank 21.38
35. Pierrick Fédrigo (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 22.05
36. Dario David Cioni (Ita) Silence – Lotto 22.54
37. Marco Velo (Ita) Team Milram 25.42
38. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 27.11
39. Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 28.05
40. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia 29.51
41. Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 29.54
42. Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence – Lotto 30.38
43. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Lampre 31.04
44. David Arroyo Duran (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 32.24
45. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 33.52
46. José Iván Gutierrez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 34.49
47. David Millar (GBr) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 35.22
48. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 35.56
49. Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre 36.42
50. Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 37.03
51. Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank 37.1
52. Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram 38.1
53. Rémy Di Grégorio (Fra) Française des Jeux 39.3
54. George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia 39.51
55. Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Rabobank 40.09
56. Christophe Le Mével (Fra) Crédit Agricole 42.23
57. Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Liquigas 42.59
58. David López García (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 45.24
59. Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank 47.09
60. Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 47.4
61. Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 49.24
62. David Moncouti̩ (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 52.24
63. Sebastian Lang (Ger) Gerolsteiner 53.12
64. Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 53.16
65. Trent Lowe (Aus) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 53.46
66. Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 54.03
67. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 55.22
68. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 56.14
69. John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) Barloworld 56.33
70. Johann Tschopp (Swi) Bouygues Telecom 56.41
71. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 57.09
72. Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 58.44
73. Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux 59.3
74. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 59.50
75. Nicolas Portal (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne 1.02.07
76. Simon Gerrans (Aus) Crédit Agricole 1.06.53
77. Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre 1.07.12
78. Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) Française des Jeux 1.08.02
79. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 1.08.03
80. Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 1.08.27
81. Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas 1.10.00
82. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole 1.10.32
83. Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram 1.10.47
84. Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole 1.11.46
85. Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre 1.11.59
86. Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 1.12.42
87. Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 1.12.49
88. Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.12.52
89. Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence – Lotto 1.12.54
90. Stef Clement (Ned) Bouygues Telecom 1.15.26
91. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step 1.15.28
92. David Le Lay (Fra) Agritubel 1.15.36
93. William Bonnet (Fra) Crédit Agricole 1.15.59
94. Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Agritubel 1.16.19
95. Christopher Froome (Ken) Barloworld 1.16.21
96. Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 1.16.22
97. Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel 1.16.36
98. José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale 1.17.10
99. Gorka Verdugo Markotegi (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi 1.17.39
100. Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step 1.19.17
101. Juan Jos̩ Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel РEuskadi 1.19.59
102. Martin Müller (Ger) Team Milram 1.20.58
103. Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom 1.21.08
104. Sébastien Rosseler (Bel) Quick Step 1.21.51
105. I̱aki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel РEuskadi 1.23.53
106. Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.27.20
107. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia 1.29.45
108. Björn Schröder (Ger) Team Milram 1.30.40
109. Aleksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Liquigas 1.32.19
110. Adam Hansen (Aus) Team Columbia 1.32.22
111. Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.32.31
112. Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre 1.32.42
113. Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld 1.32.43
114. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.33.38
115. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 1.34.11
116. Danny Pate (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.34.29
117. Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas 1.36.01
118. Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 1.36.07
119. Gianpaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld 1.36.57
120. Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre 1.38.02
121. Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence – Lotto 1.39.09
122. Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC – Saxo Bank 1.39.34
123. Nicolas Jalabert (Fra) Agritubel 1.41.01
124. Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne 1.41.22
125. Ralf Grabsch (Ger) Team Milram 1.41.35
126. Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step 1.41.50
127. Massimiliano Mori (Ita) Lampre 1.42.36
128. Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux 1.43.24
129. Christophe Brandt (Bel) Silence – Lotto
130. Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram 1.43.53
131. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux 1.44.24
132. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 1.44.54
133. Leif Hoste (Bel) Silence – Lotto 1.46.25
134. Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.46.41
135. Freddy Bichot (Fra) Agritubel 1.46.47
136. Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel 1.47.32
137. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.48.31
138. Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step 1.49.12
139. Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30 1.49.13
140. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank 1.50.41
141. Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux 1.50.54
142. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 1.51.19
143. Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Team Columbia 1.51.49
144. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia 1.52.04
145. Mark Renshaw (Aus) Crédit Agricole 1.53.05
146. Arnaud Gérard (Fra) Française des Jeux 1.53.06
147. Brett Lancaster (Aus) Team Milram 1.53.53
148. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 1.54.24
149. José Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 1.54.51
150. Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 1.54.55
151. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Crédit Agricole 1.55.03
152. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas 1.55.25
153. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel 1.55.35
154. Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia 1.57.09
155. Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 1.57.25
156. Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom 2.02.20
157. St̩phane Aug̩ (Fra) Cofidis РLe Cr̩dit par T̩l̩phone 2.04.28
158. Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Silence – Lotto 2.08.02