HTC-HIGHROAD’S MARK CAVENDISH CLAIMS FIRST VICTORY IN 2011 GIRO D’ITALIA

San Luis Obispo, California, 17th May 2011 – HTC-Highroad’s Mark Cavendish has powered to his first stage win of the 2011 Giro d’Italia, blasting to victory in stage 10 from Termoli to Teramo.

Already the leader of the race for one day, the British sprinter stormed across the finish line ahead of Spain’s Francisco Ventoso and Italian Alessandro Petacchi.

“Winning in Italy is massively important for me,” Cavendish said.
“It’s where I took my first ever Grand Tour stage win and I was
disappointed not to win in Parma, because this is one of my favorite races, really close to my heart.”

“I suffered badly in the mountain stages, but I wanted to get through in order to keep winning here.”

“We haven’t got our most experienced sprint team here, but it is still the same as its always been in terms of heart and commitment. They all gave it one hundred percent and I couldn’t ask more from them.”

“We controlled the break perfectly and when we came into the finish they were all there.”

“I got on Petacchi’s wheel, he started accelerating with 250 meters to go, I went with 150 meters to go and then I came past him for the win.”

Cavendish’s Giro victory is the 65th professional road win of his career, the third of the 2011 season after a stage of the Tour of Oman and the Scheldeprijs and his sixth in the Giro d’Italia.

Photo: Corvos