CAVENDISH PULLS OUT OF THE TOUR

Mark Cavendish has decided not to start Sunday's 15th stage of the Tour de France from Embrun to Prato Nevoso.

The Team Columbia sprinter has won four stages of the race but has opted not to battle through the first Alpine stage, choosing instead to have a brief rest before completing his preparations for the Madison at the Beijing Olympic Games on August 19.

Cavendish has been lined-up to appear in some of the post-Tour criteriums and is flying to Beijing on August 9.

After his fourth stage win in Nimes on Friday, he admitted he was feeling tired but that the idea of contesting the green jersey or winning the final stage on the Champs-Elysees had started to appeal.

But after losing contact on the final climb of Saturday's stage to Digne-les-Bains and seeing Oscar Freire stretch his lead in the points competition even further, Cavendish has decided to call it a day.

He's completed two weeks of the Tour de France, winning four stages, on the back of finishing the three-week Giro d'Italia in May. That's five weeks of grand tour stage racing and six wins for a second-year professional.

The next goal is the Madison and battling on in the Tour as tiredness sets in could have jeopardised his chances of winning gold with Bradley Wiggins.

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Comment: Why Cav is right to go home today

Stage 13: Cavendish takes fourth win

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Stage 11: Arvesen wins

Stage 10: Evans takes yellow jersey by one second

Stage nine: Ricco wins in the Pyrenees

Stage eight: Cavendish wins again in Toulouse

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Stage six: Ricco storms to win

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