There was no repeat Tour de France dash win for Mark Cavendish, with the Manxman and his Astana-Qazaqstan group failing to chop the mustard in Dijon.
Astana-Qazaqstan labored laborious to maintain Cavendish up entrance through the ever-faster run-in to the town, however their lead-out turned trapped within the peloton with two kilometres to go at an important pinch level within the street earlier than a chicane and switch proper into the lengthy ending straight.
Cavendish fought to maneuver up within the ultimate of the stage 6 dash however was unable to discover a method by means of. He appeared to ease up in defeat and let his lead-out man, Cees Bol, struggle for a putting. Cavendish was nineteenth, with the Dutchman 14th.
Cavendish may solely watch on as Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) was mobbed by the tv crews and images past the end line, identical to he was on Wednesday. Cavendish sportingly provided Groenewegen a hand contact of congratulations as they crossed paths.
“The boys have been actually good in the present day, the arrogance they confirmed the entire day, the grit they confirmed all day. I’m dissatisfied, however we’ll strive once more,” Cavendish defined on the Astana Qazaqstan bus, analysing the dash together with his standard sharp eye for element and errors.
“We have been a little bit within the center within the final couple of kilometres, which isn’t actually the place you wish to be coming into that ultimate roundabout.
“If you might be, you could again off so that you carry the momentum even when you lose a few positions. Everyone went on the entrance wheel, and Michael adopted them. I misplaced the momentum and it misplaced me positions. I may see I may go alongside the boundaries and threat to return from up to now again within the ultimate. But it is a large threat with most likely no reward, perhaps a high 10.”
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Cavendish was not so understanding through the stage when he suffered a mechanical downside, was hampered by a tv motorcycle after which briefly drafted behind his group automobile to return to the peloton. He was fined 200 Swiss francs, docked 15 UCI rating factors, 10 factors for the inexperienced jersey competitors and 40 seconds within the basic classification.
“I had a mechanical downside; my chain wrapped and locked beneath my backside bracket,” Cavendish informed Peacock, the US Tour de France broadcaster.
“I began to panic when the TV digital camera got here up. He goes in the course of the street and stops the convoy coming. That places you out the again.
“A TV digital camera is there to seize photos and to not affect the race, and it is the second time this motorcycle has performed it. That’s once you begin to panic when an out of doors management is influencing the race. It’s one thing you’ll be able to’t put together for.”
Cavendish stored a low profile initially of the stage in Mâcon however was praised and celebrated for his record-breaking thirty fifth victory within the peloton through the stage.
“It was a bit bizarre, final evening was unusual. I used to be removed from bouncy, I used to be a little bit in shock. We have been all tremendous glad, but it surely was a way of ‘what now?’ he admitted.
“Geraint Thomas stored saying, ‘Why are you beginning in the present day?’ But we’re right here as a group, we have come right here to try to win. 35 is only a quantity individuals use.
“We attempt to win each time we will. It’s apparent now, after 15 Tours de France, the respect I present this race. It’s the Tour de France. You attempt to win, you attempt to do no matter you’ll be able to, and also you present the Tour the respect it deserves.
“It was actually particular through the stage, from guys younger to outdated. The outdated guys mentioned, ‘You give us hope we will nonetheless do it’ – guys like [Primož] Roglič.
“Tom Pidcock got here up and informed me he was 9 or so once I received my first stage. I used to be very humbled to be within the peloton in the present day, with the quantity of those that appeared genuinely glad. It was very emotional.”
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