It was so nearly stage win number four in this year's Tour for Mark Cavendish. Unfortunately for him it was spoilt by Alexandre Vinokourov's successful attack at the top of the short steep hill at Revel some five kilometres from the finish. Vino held on during the descent and the the flat section leading to the finish with the sprinters' teams unable to get organised in time to get him back.
I did predict a breakaway win yesterday but I had expected a long break to be successful, so Vino's win wasn't what I had in mind. However, the sprinters' teams thought otherwise and chased down the day's long break.
Vino's victory made up for missing out the day before at Mende when Alberto Contador, his team-mate and Joaquin Rodriguez swept past him near the top of the Mende climb. Alberto has been criticised for attacking when his team-mate was in a position to win the stage. However, it was Rodriguez who made the initial attack. Also Astana's main goal is to win the Tour and Contador's 10 second gain was psychologically important.
Mark Cavendish easily won the sprint for second place showing that even without his great lead-out man, Mark Renshaw, he has the potential to win further stages. The finishes in Bordeaux and Paris should be down to a bunch sprint. Yesterday Alessandro Petacchi was third with Thor Hushovd only eighth, so Thor lost his Green Jersey to Alessandro with Mark Cavendish some 25 points behind. The competition for Green is hotting up with Mark still having an outside chance of winning.
Today sees the first of four tough stages in the Pyrénées to celebrate the 100 years of including these mountains in the race. Versus has a good four part video of the 100 years of the Tour in the Pyrénées here.
The route for today runs from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines climbing the hors category Port de Pailhères (2001 metres) before flying down into the valley for the final shorter climb up to Ax 3 Domaines (1360 metres). Will today prove to be an opportunity for Alberto to take time out of Andy? We will see but at the moment it is Andy who needs to take time out of Alberto if he is to win in Paris. Potentially a crunch stage today!
