Behind the Green Jersey - A profile of Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish became the first British rider to win a sprinter’s jersey, since Malcolm Elliott in 1989, when he won the Vuelta a Espana’s green jersey last week.

The Manx rider has become one of cycling’s most successful sprinters at the young age of 25; he is also the best British Tour de France winner with 15 stage victories in three attempts.


A Great Rider is Born
He has always ridden but his love of cycling took hold at the world famous Manx Cycling Week, which has in the past attracted such rider as Jacques Anquetil and Eddie Merckx. It was there he met another British rider David Millar who Cavendish says inspired him to race.

Tour of Britain - Round Up

This year’s Tour of Britain boasted a high quality including Olympic champions Bradley Wiggins and Ed Clancy.

Stage one brought the riders from Rochdale to 132km up the road to the seaside town of Blackpool. Despite the tough nature of the course it was sprinter Andre Greipel who opened his account with victory. Saxo Bank rider Jonny Bellis only managed 54km before he was forced to climb off the bike. The Manxman is coming back to form after suffering from a near fatal accident in Italy last September.

Team Sky’s Greg Henderson gave the home crowd something to cheer in stage 2 about when he beat Heinrich Haussler and Michael Albasini to the line. The Kiwi was joined in the 18-man breakaway by teammates Wiggins and Geraint Thomas.

The home knowledge helped them on a course that was much more difficult than it looked on the profile.

HTC Columbia was back on the top step and back in yellow after stage 3 with Albasini crossing the line first. The stage was difficult from the start and several riders were dropped immediately the race was de-neutralised. Albasini became the third man to wear the yellow jersey in three stages.

Vacansoleil put on a big show in stage four finishing first and second after the pair launched an attack on the final climb of the day.