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by Justin Davis

TOULOUSE, France, July 12, 2008 (AFP) - Britain’s Mark Cavendish wrote a notable page in the history of British cycling at the Tour de France when he won his second stage of this year’s edition here on Saturday.

Cavendish, a 23-year-old from the Isle of Man who has now been labeled the best sprinter in the world, outgunned some of the best known fast men in the peloton to win the race’s rain-lashed eighth stage in a bunch sprint.

The last British rider to win a stage on the race before Cavendish was Scotland’s David Millar, who claimed his third Tour stage win in 2003.

Cavendish became the ninth British rider to win a stage on the race when he secured Wednesday’s fifth stage after his Columbia team helped deliver him to the finish with one of their well-disciplined ‘trains’.

Saturday’s win here meant Cavendish becomes the first British rider to win two stages in the same edition since the great Barry Hoban, who bagged two of his total of eight stages in 1973.

“It was brilliant. Once again you can see how well my team performed,” said Cavendish as he paid tribute to his Columbia team.

“I can’t take the credit. It just so happens that I’m British but I ride for an international team and it takes them to get me to that point.”

Ahead of a few difficult days of climbing in the Pyrenees, where ‘Cav’ is likely to feel the pain of the previous days’ efforts, the Manxman admitted he is not yet thinking about an historic third stage win.

“I’ll see how it goes, but at the end of the day I do this because I love riding my bike, and I’m in a beautiful team and I’m supported so well in what I do,” he said.

But he admitted that even that achievement would not necessarily lead to him being voted Britain’s sports personality of the year.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to say, you know. Bradley (Wiggins) got gold, silver and bronze in the last Olympics and he didn’t even get nominated.”

Cavendish also won two stages at the Giro d’Italia in June, claiming his first wins in a major Tour and showing the world stage - after two promising years in the professional peloton - he means business.

He is set to partner Wiggins at the Beijing Olympics, where they will go into the track cycling event of the Madison as the reigning world champions.

Aiming for a win on the prestigious finale to the Champs Elysees is every sprinters’ dream.

But first Cavendish just wants to finish in once piece - if he can.

“I hope so,” he said when asked if he would like to win in Paris.

“I’ve got no plans to quit. I’m feeling it now, a little bit tired after the Giro. Everything’s a bonus, but I’m not going to kill myself, I’ve still got the Olympics next month.”