Relief for Cavendish after long wait for Tour victory

Friday looked to be Mark Cavendish's last chance before Paris in the 2015 Tour de France, and he seemed relieved as he took the opportunity under high-pressure

10 July 2015
102nd Tour de France
Stage 07 : Livarot - Fougeres
1st : CAVENDISH Mark (GBR) Etixx - Quickstep
KWIATKOWSKI Michal (POL) Etixx - Quickstep
VERMOTE Julien (BEL) Etixx - Quickstep
Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick-Step) looked a relieved man after taking victory on stage seven of the Tour de France on Friday, having not secured a win in the race since stage 13 of the 2013 race, with mounting pressure to show he still had what it took to beat his rival sprinters.

Cavendish counts 26 stage wins in the Tour de France, second behind only greats Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx. He has wins in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, and in one-day races ranging from the world championships to Milan-San Remo. Expectations were high for a win in this Tour.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.