Top cycling commentator Phil Liggett may have been joking when he said the three legs on the Isle of Man flag would come in handy for Mark Cavendish here at the Tour de France.
The British sprinter, whose rocketing reputation as one of the world’s fastest men on two wheels has been boosted by two stage wins at the Giro d’Italia, would argue that two will do just fine.
To look at, Cavendish doesn’t appear superhuman.
PHOTO: AFP
But the curly-haired 22-year-old Manxman oozes a quiet confidence that has forced all the established names to take note since he blazed his way into the ranks with 11 pro victories last year.
Australia’s Robbie McEwen, arguably one of the fastest sprinters on the planet, has won 12 stages on the Tour de France and the points competition’s green jersey three times.
Cavendish’s brash, no-nonsense style — and stunning top end speed at the end of hectic bunch sprints — inevitably leads to comparisons with the 34-year-old Aussie, who has courted plenty of controversy over the years.
The two are likely to brush elbows on the few flat stages put at the sprinters’ disposal this week by organizers who are keen to shake up the race hierarchy.
For now, McEwen has only positive things to say about Cavendish, but the experienced Aussie will be watching closely for signs of weakness.
“More so physically, the way he sprints he does remind me a lot of me,” McEwen told reporters.
Asked what makes Cavendish so fast, McEwen said it was simple.
“He’s got the genes. Obviously you’ve got to know how to ride a bike, and make it go up to just over 70km an hour,” he said.
■TOUR DE FRANCE
AFP, BREST, France
The Tour de France sprinters are hoping to officially announce their race entry with a bunch finish today, but there are plenty of “punchers” who will look to disrupt that plan.
At just 164.5km long, the second stage takes the peloton north from Auray to Saint-Brieuc over undulating terrain, paying tribute to Tour legend Bernard Hinault on the way by passing through his hometown of Yffiniac.
Breakaways are a near certainty, and with five-time winner Hinault’s name on everyone’s lips a few Frenchmen are likely to be among them.
The only problem for any breakaway group is the location of the last of the day’s four climbs — and the slightly uphill finish in the coastal city known most for its superb sailing and scallop farming.
Ascents which are close to the finish line can often condemn the plans of the sprinters teams, who like to up the pace on rolling terrain before getting their fast men organized on the flatter home straights.
The final climb today is 70km from the finish, although the slightly undulating terrain in between should allow the sprinters’ teams the chance to up the pace and reel in any early escapees.
From the fourth-last kilometer today, the road rises before it gets to the 200m-long home straight.
Whether the sprinters keep it together for the first mass battle of this year’s race remains to be seen.
But most will keep in mind it was Liquigas’ Italian ace Filippo Pozzatto, a “puncher” who can pull away from rivals ahead of and on inclines, who won when the Tour last visited St Brieuc in 2004.
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