Cavendish wins to equal British record
ST FARGEAU, France (Reuters) - Mark Cavendish strengthened his grip on the Tour de France sprints when he won the 11th stage Wednesday to equal Barry Hoban's British record of eight victories in the world's greatest race.
The Isle of Man rider outsprinted American Tyler Farrar and Yauheni Hutarovich of Belarus at the end of a 192km ride from Vatan to St Fargeau to take his fourth win in this year's Tour.
"It was slightly uphill so we knew it would be a different sprint and we adapted to that situation," Cavendish told a news conference.
"We had to deliver me later so we had four guys in the last kilometre instead of two. Again, it was just beautiful the way the guys led me."
Asked whether he felt there was no opposition on the field, Cavendish said: "It is a massive, massive insult to say the guys are weak."
Hoban won his eight stages from 1967 to '75, the last at the age of 35, while the 24-year-old Cavendish is taking part in only his second Tour.
Italian Rinaldo Nocentini retained the overall leader's yellow jersey six seconds ahead of Spain's Alberto Contador with American Lance Armstrong in third place eight seconds off the pace.
Briton Bradley Wiggins moved back up to fifth after the race jury decided to cancel a 15-second gap between two bunches in the final part of Tuesday's stage. Continued...
Knox family in jail visit