The British rider Mark Cavendish has underlined his status as one of the Tour de France's greatest sprinter in claiming his 29th stage victory, on the sixth stage of this year's race.
The win puts Cavendish second on the list of all-time Tour stage winners ahead of Bernard Hinault and five shy of Eddy Merckx's record.
Mark Cavendish has completed another stage win on the Tour de France. Photo: Photosport
Belgian rider Greg van Avermaet had a quiet day in the peloton but retains the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Cavendish, surged ahead in the final straight and held off a charge from German Marcel Kittel.
Kittel and German champion Andre Greipel had been widely tipped by pundits to win the sixth leg but once again Cavendish denied them.
"I don't give a shit what people say," he said with trademark defiance.
"There's a reason why people like that are commentating on cycling and are not team managers."
Cavendish, who won his first Tour stage in 2008, could add to his total in Montpellier, Villars les Dombes, Bern and the run-in to the last day in Paris.
