EPERNAY, France – Briton’s Mark Cavendish faces make or break time on the Tour de France on Friday, perhaps one of the last chances the misfiring sprinter will get to win a stage for nearly a week.

Cavendish’s dream of winning the points competition’s green jersey is now virtually over after just five days of racing, but it is the HTC-Columbia man’s lack of stage wins that has surprised most observers.

This time last year the self-proclaimed “fastest man on two wheels” was on his way to winning six stages from sprints, adding to the four he won in 2008.

But thanks to some tactically astute riding from his rivals, an apparent lack of confidence, and the fact he does not have the same sprint ‘train’ as last year, Cavendish’s mojo has not joined him at the Tour.

French great Laurent Jalabert is among many former professionals to have commented on Cavendish’s catastrophic campaign. He believes the Isle of Man rider might even go home win-less.

“I think Cavendish will win nothing on the Tour this year,” Jalabert told French television on Wednesday when Italian veteran Alessandro Petacchi stunned the sprint bunch’s young guns by picking up his second win on the race.

Although Thursday’s fifth stage from Epernay to Montargis could give Cavendish the chance to make amends, Friday’s 227.5km long sixth stage from Montargis to Gueugnon is not guaranteed to end in a bunch sprint.

A day ahead of the first of three stages in the Alps, the yellow jersey contenders are likely to be wary of who goes off in a breakaway, although it is a near certainty that breaks will eventually form.

The stage is long, is likely to be held in temperatures of over 30 degrees celsius and, with two small climbs before the half way mark then two others prior to the finish, breakaways do have a chance of going all the way.

So far on the race the French teams have failed to shine — Sylvain Chavanel won the second stage to Spa, but he rides for Belgian outfit Quick Step.

Yet AG2R manager Vincent Lavenu believes that for any breakaway to resist the power of the sprinters’ teams in the chasing peloton, it has to be team-handed.

“Breakaways are a possibility on Friday, but there’s no point in joining one if there’s only four or five guys,” he told AFP before the start of the fifth stage.

“There has to be eight or nine guys in it, that’s the only chance of it going all the way. Plus, the small climb near the finish shouldn’t be a problem for most of the sprinters.”

After two days in the Alps this weekend, the race in the mountains will resume on Tuesday after Monday’s rest day.
The next opportunities for the sprinters to battle on the flat will be on Thursday’s 11th stage from Sisteron to Bourg-les-Valence.

Article: AFP by: Justin Davis