Cavendish Wins Stage 11 Of Tour de France Thing, Renshaw DQ'ed For Head-Butting...

Iy got really interesting today at the end of the 11th Stage- even after Mark Cavendish was declared the winner in another sprint to the line.

Andy Schleck of Luxembourg retained the overall race lead.

Cavendish picked up his third stage win on a 114.6-mile trek from Sisteron to Bourg-les-Valence that featured one mid-grade climb. The stage was mainly flat.

Schleck kept the Maillot Jaune for a third straight day by finishing in the peloton. Defending champion Alberto Contador is second overall- 41 seconds back.

But watch the end... one of Cavendish's teammates, Mark Renshaw of Australia, does a little extra-curricular bumping that earned him a DQ...

Pretty rare, but watch for yourself...

Here's the end of the Stage where Renshaw uses his noggin...
((HT: TdF/VersusvsTV))


Here's Renshaw after the decision...
((HT: OzCyclingdotcom))

Cavendish Goes Back-To-Back Wins, Avoids Cyclist Fight...

Mark Cavendish made it back-to-back stage victories leading another sprint for the line as the contenders finished in the peloton close behind.

The HTC Columbia rider earned his 12th career Tour stage victory on the 141.3-mile sixth stage from Montargis to Gueugnon- clocking in at 5 hours, 37 minutes, 42 seconds to edge Tyler Farrar of the United States and Alessandro Petacchi of Italy.

The main title contenders had the same time as Cavendish. Defending champion Alberto Contador was 28th, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong was 38th, and overall race leader Fabian Cancellara was 41st.

Here's the biker fight... actually, they're not on hogs...
It's a cyclist fight... very European right-hands, though... it's more of a pounding.
((HT: Tour de France/VersusTV))


Here's Cavendish again... to the winner goes the sound bites...
((HT: letourdefrance))

Cavendish Takes Stage 5 of Tour de France Thing

Since a lot of people thought he was going to take Stage 4, they were only one off...

Mark Cavendish won the fifth stage in your normal-end-of-the-stage sprint, collecting his 11th career stage victory at the Tour over the 116.3-mile trek from Epernay in Champagne country to Montargis.

Fabian Cancellara retained the yellow jersey. Cadel Evans of Australia holds third place, 39 seconds back, and last year's runner-up, Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, is sixth, 1:09 back.

Defending champion Alberto Contador is ninth, 1:40 back, while seven-time winner Lance Armstrong is 2:30 back in 18th.

Here's Cavendish after the podium...
((HT: letourdefrance))