Tour de France Team Talk Stage 13

Four wins for Mark Cavendish as he out sprints the rest yet again - report

Mark Cavendish wins again.

“For sure my first stage win here was my favourite, but this one was the hardest.” - read more

Alessandro Ballan was quizzical about the day - "It was a strange stage. For the first time I saw in Tour de France that the bunch didn’t follow an attack born in the very first kilometres or someone that try to join the breakaway. Maybe there was the fear of the strong wind that has been blowing during the stage. The bunch controlled the situation and the sprinters’ team began to work in a proper time. Maybe tomorrow we will try something: it’s the last chance before the Alps”.

DS Bono commented the last kilometres: “There was no battle in the first and in the middle part of the stage, but in the final part the sprinters’ team raised the pace and, because of the hot too, the kilometres to the arrival became very tough”.

Sports director Kim Andersen - "Yeah, it was pretty much the same as yesterday for us. We focused on avoiding crashes and getting through as easy as possible. We were ready to go along if any big breaks were initiated, but only two riders got away almost straight off and no one in the peloton did anything to stop them so we all knew what type of stage we were in for," said Team CSC Saxo Bank's .

"The only difference from yesterday (stage 12) was the heat – it was extremely hot out there today. It would suit us just fine if we could keep this kind of weather all the way to Paris."

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The team holds the top two spots in the King of Mountains Comp, Sebastian Lang is followed by Bernhard Kohl. "Sebastian very obviously enjoyed riding in the mountain jersey", said the team Sporting Manager.

Sven Krauss took a fall during the finale after hitting a traffic island. The rider injured his coccyx and his racing bike broke into four pieces. "He had to avoid crashing into a Spaniard who had taken a fall and then didn't manage to steer clear of the next obstacle himself, nevertheless he finished the stage on his reserve bike." say the team.

Crash of the race!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Erik Zabel missed out on the sprint - "The eighth placing is a bit disappointing, that’s true. But it didn’t make any sense to try and come up from behind with Mark Cavendish being so strong. In the end, I started my sprint a bit too far away. Cavendish simply is the strongest, you don’t stand a chance.”

Niki Terpstra spent almost all the stage away from the main field

"It was a Milram day today,“ said Manager Gerry van Gerwen. “Our strategy was to attack early and be included in the break. With two riders, the group was a bit too small and it was too hard to make it to the finish. But Niki Terpstra fought like a lion and did everything right, strategically as well as tactically. For his final attack, he is being rewarded with the red number of most combative rider. I’m very satisfied.”

Sprinter Robert Hunter made it into the close sprint claiming 11th on the finish line. "He is always ahead in the sprint - stated Team Manager Claudio Corti after the arrival - and I'm sure he will achieve a good result before the Tour ends".

Herve Duclos Lassalle, Cofidis - stage 1 - crash
Angel Gomez, Saunier Duval - stage 3 - crash
Maurico Soler, Barloworld - stage 5 - injuries from an earlier crash
Aurelien Passeron, Saunier Duval - stage 6 - failed to start (Hit a spectator the previous day)
Magnus Backstedt, Garmin Chipotle - stage 7 - outside time limit
Lilian Jegou, FD Jeux - stage 7 - crash
Christophe Moreau, Agritubel - stage 7, bad back
John Gadret, AG2R - stage 7
Mauro Facci, Quickstep, - stage 7
Manuel Beltran, Liquigas - stage 7 - failed dope test and thrown off race
Yury Trofimov Bouyges Telecom - stage 10 - withdrawn before start
Paulo Longo Borghini, Barloworld - stage 11 - crash
Felix Cardenas, Barloworld - stage 11 - crash
Moises Duenas Nevado, Barloworld - stage 11 - failed dope test and thrown off race
Leonardo Piepoli, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - team withdrew
Josep Jufre, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - team withdrew
Jesus Del Nero, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - team withdrew
David De La Fuente, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - team withdrew
Juan Jose Cobo Acebo, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - team withdrew
Rubens Bertogliati, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - team withdrew
Riccardo Ricco, Saunier Duval - stage 12 - failed dope test and thrown off race
Baden Cooke, Barloworld - stage 12 - crash

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