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By Ivan Speck in Gueugnon
Out in front: Mark Cavendish celebrates his winCrisis, what crisis? Two stage victories on successive days have righted the world of Mark Cavendish and reasserted his pre-eminence in sprint cycling.
The nerves of Thursday which preceded his triumphant return to form in winning Stage 5 gave way to an imperious assurance in southern Burgundy.
Once he emerged from the slipstream of his HTC-Columbia lead-out man, Mark Renshaw, everyone lining the course here in Gueugnon knew there could be only one outcome.
Cavendish rode like a man who trusts his ability once more. The doubt has been banished and the
tears have given way to an omnipresent smile.
Leader of the pack: Cavendish rides out in front between Montargis and Gueugnon
Water view: The pack pass over a bridge in MontargisWhether the 12th Tour de France stage victory of his career can launch him towards a belated assault on the green jersey remains doubtful, if for no other reason than it will be next Thursday before another stage is likely to end in a bunch sprint.
It didn’t stop Cavendish wearing green glasses on Friday. He said: ‘Green is my favourite colour and I was aiming for the green jersey when I came here. It would be nice to wear it again, but I messed up a bit on the cobbles and then in Wednesday’s sprint, so it will be a tall order.
‘If there’s a book of great riders written about the Tour de France and its history, I would like to be in that book. I’m the luckiest guy in cycling right now because I’ve got an incredibly committed bunch of guys working for me.’
The Briton’s pursuit of the green jersey was helped by a surprisingly lacklustre sprint from points leader Thor Hushovd and Cavendish may yet regret sitting up 50 metres from the line in Reims on Wednesday, thus missing out on valuable places.
Realistically it will take at least one more mishap to befall the Norwegian, as well as Alessandro Petacchi, for faint hope to run into reality.
Changing places: A mock postman swaps bikes with overall leader Fabian Cancellara (yellow jersey) before the start of stage sixMischievous planning by the race organisers means that after the riders spent six hours in the saddle on Friday, sticking ice packs inside their cycling suits to minimise the sweltering heat, they will spend Saturday looking at the snow-crested tips of the Alps.
A rolling stage up to the ski resort of Rousses in the Jura mountains may offer an opportunity for
Geraint Thomas to launch an attempt to capture the first yellow jersey of his young career and the
first won by Team Sky if he can finish ahead of race leader Fabian Cancellara by at least 23 seconds on the hilly route.
Picturesque: The riders bunch by a field of wild flowers
source: dailymail [endtext]