SCHOTEN, Belgium, April 6, 2011 – Britain’s Mark Cavendish sprinted
clear of the field to claim his third career victory at the Grand Prix
l’Escaut on Wednesday.

The HTC-Highroad sprinter, a 15-time stage winner on the Tour de France,
steered clear of danger in a crash-marred finale to finish ahead of Russian
Denis Galimzyanov and Belarussian Yauheni Hutarovich.

Cavendish has endured a mediocre start to his season, so the Isle of Man
rider was only too happy to find success at the scene of his maiden
professional victory, in 2007.

“This race is special for me because it’s here that I took my first
professional win,” said Cavendish, who also won here in 2008.

“It’s been a frustrating season so far. I’m racing a lot this season, and
I’ve had some bad luck, so it’s good I can get the wins in, too.”

Cavendish added: “The team did a perfect job, chasing down the break and
then getting me to the front as they always do.

“(Team-mate) Leigh Howard worked very hard in the last few kilometers, then
I came past him and went for the win.”

Cavendish’s only other win this season was in the sixth stage of the Tour
of Oman.

The GP de l’Escaut is held over 200km and is usually controlled by the
sprinters’ teams in anticipation of a bunch finish.

Cavendish finished ahead of Russian sensation Galimzyanov, of Team Katusha,
with plenty of room to spare.

Moments before then American rival Tyler Farrar was taken out of the
equation after clashing with Belgian Wouter Weylandt.

Another Belgian, Tom Boonen, had started as one of the race favorites but
was not in contention for the finale after crashing twice during the race.

Boonen will line up for the grueling Paris-Roubaix this Sunday hoping to
do better than his fourth place finish at the Tour of Flanders last week.

Cavendish, too, will ride the cobbled one-day classic known as the ‘Hell of
the North’.

“My next race will be Paris-Roubaix and then I’ll build up for the Tour de
France, with the Tour of Italy and the Tour de Suisse before then as well,”
added the Manxman.

File Photo: Corvos