ROUEN, France (AP) Britain's Mark Cavendish felt sore scrapes coming from that difficult Tour de France asphalt in Wednesday's fourth stage. He bared absolutely no difficult emotions toward rival Andre Greipel, who gained it.
The German speedster, foremost your thinned-out number of sprinters at the finish, bought his 14th victory in just about all competitions this year even though Cavendish nursed wounds from your later lock up when the particular battle entered Normandy.
Swiss riders Fabian Cancellara got briefly organized by the actual difficulties although did not go down, and also stored the overall head for just a sixth time following on from the 133-mile trek alongside the English Channel out of Abbeville to Rouen.
The best standings don't change: Bradley Wiggins, the best choice associated with Cavendish's Team Sky hoping being Britain's primary Tour winner, is definitely second, 7 mere seconds behind this Swiss leader. Defending champion Cadel Evans with Australia is 17 just a few seconds from the pace throughout seventh.
With less than a couple a long way left, an organization drip brought straight down Cavendish, scraping up his rainbow-colored jersey connected with world champion. He viewed some sort of little bit dazed because Sky staff seen your ex available along with served your ex boyfriend get with a bike. He rode gingerly to complete the stage. The squad reported your dog had been banged up, but made an appearance to help don't have a severe injuries along with seemed to be just about guaranteed to begin Thursday.
With Cavendish from the picture, Greipel burst open out of your taken number of sprinters, as well as sped to your right away finish, a split-second in advance associated with Italy's Alessandro Petacchi and also Dutch driver Tom Veelers.
The German claimed your dog couldn't pay much attention to the past due crash.
"I observed something lurking behind me . nevertheless at 60 kilometers for each hour, that you do not are worried about just what exactly transpired behind," that Lotto-Belisol rider informed France-2 TV.
While expert cyclists most of operate the danger of crashing, Cavendish's spill amounted to some scare if faint in order to their high expectation of profitable precious metal intended for Britain in the Olympic path race up coming month.
Cavendish includes played out following fiddle with Sky over the team's target regarding Wiggins to acquire a victory, plus not like in years past has only one devoted lead-out man to manual and protect him inside the crazy past sprint: Bernard Eisel, a good Austrian who seem to furthermore obtained banged upwards inside spill.
Cavendish, viewed simply by numerous as being the international best sprinter along with the successful connected with 21 Tour portions including Stage 2 Monday, conveyed no very difficult thoughts through his mishap.
Tyler Farrar, a sprint professional in the United States which picked up this Tour stage on July 4 last year, also got tangled upward and not so great out and about with a likelihood for the duplicate sprint victory around the U.S. Independence Day holiday.
In the actual pileup, the actual Garmin-Sharp rider flew off his or her bike, "somersaulted through his bars, tucked plus rolled and also appeared about his or her legs running from the crash," tweeted group chiropractor Matt Rabin.
Despite the actual crash, Greipel reported his or her victory was well-deserved.
"There were being still definitely rapidly males there with the short as well as I assume most people only ought to have this victory," this individual said, using affordable a problem regarding whether your dog savored the item fewer because Cavendish ended up being knocked out.
"I think weeks problem in relation to that," Greipel added. "I picked up some sort of phase inside the Tour de France!"
At a still-young 27 decades old, Cavendish, whom seemed to be voted the actual BBC's sports character from the season with Britain continue year, offers twenty one phase is the winner on the Tour just one small of the amount this seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong have around his / her career.
An endorsed competition health care report said Cavendish continual many chafes including a lower on the finger, Eisel continual your gash in which essential stitches with his forehead, as well as Garmin's Robbie Hunter regarding South Africa scraped up his left side. Daniel Oss associated with Liquigas acquired a new cool injury.
According to the Tour rulebook, riders whom find past due by the accident in the final a few kilometers involving your period usually are granted one time because the stage winner.
The wrap up clocked the same time while Greipel five hours, eighteen minutes, 32 mere seconds though some stragglers sanita injuries from crashes before that week, including globe time-trial champ Tony Martin regarding Germany, as well as Tom Danielson from the United States, straggled around 2:21 behind.
Cancellara, who seem to briefly obtained stalled through the crash, sighed together with relief: "I'm genuinely pleased to obtain earlier that, a tumble early on wounds . today it absolutely was calm, and also in that case hectic during the particular finish."
David Moncoutie as well as Anthony Delaplace involving France and Japan's Yukiya Arashiro pennyless absent earlier and carved out some sort of utmost head regarding 8:40 at kilometer 10, even so the wrap reeled these individuals in with regarding six miles left around the particular stage.
Riders embark from Abbeville your town where by 6,000 buildings were ruined or perhaps harmed in the German bombing raid in World War II within May 1940 and rode under the English Channel's picturesque, chalky cliffs together with views regarding giant wind-turbine installations.
Thursday's sixth step assurances a different bunch sprint, after a primarily chiseled 122-mile program out of Rouen for you to Saint-Quentin north involving Paris.
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AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin in addition to Associated Press writer Greg Keller inside Rouen, France, added to the current report.
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