Cavendish Out Sprints Greipel and Goss to win Tour de France Stage 2 in Tournai
To people who follow professional road race cycling to see a new slimmed down Mark Cavendish riding for TEAM SKY still having the sprint power to win a stage in the toughest cycle race in the world the Tour de France 2012 was indeed an impressive sight!
Tour de France 2012, stage two: Visé to Tournai, 207.5km
1. Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Sky in 4-56-59
2. Andrè Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Belisol
3. Matt Goss (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
In the final sprint scramble for the line Cavendish showed tactical awareness and great bike handling as the speeds fluctuated from above 50 km/hr to more than 70 km/hr as the power sprinters sit and wait to attack as the team lead out riders set the pace at the front of the train. Typically teams lead out the cycle train with the team main sprinter in tow with the aim that the lead riders can stay in the lead to the final meters when they will shell off the train leaving the team sprinter to lunge for the line and victory. That is the normal way the sprint unfolds but in stage 2 of Tour de France 2012 at the finish in Tournai, Mark Cavendish was riding alone with no TEAM SKY riders in support and the final 200 meters saw ‘The Cav’ sweep past Lotto-Belisol’s Andrè Greipel and hit the line for his 21st stage win in the Tour de France
Form Insight
Mark Cavendish the reigning World road race champion has his season built around the cycling road race in the London 2012 Olympics. But to get around the tough Olympics course nine times up Box Hill in Surrey and to have any chance of winning Cavendish has shed 8 pounds in weight in the hope that he will be able to keep in the peleton and not get dropped. If he is with the leaders as they climb Box Hill for the ninth and last time the SKY rider will have the opportunity to be there in the final sprint for the Olympics gold medal.
Cavendish Out Sprints Greipel and Goss to win Tour de France Stage 2 in Tournai…
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