Cavendish eyes history after third win

Briton Mark Cavendish took his third stage of this year's Tour de France yesterday, powering to the line ahead of his sprint rival Thor Hushovd after the 194km Limoges to Issoudun leg. The Norwegian retains the green jersey for points leader, but his lead over Cavendish has been cut to six points.

Victory in today's 192km stage would see Cavendish equal Barry Hoban's British record of eight career stage wins, and with a bunch sprint expected on the run-in of the Vatan to Saint-Fargeau course, the 24-year-old from the Isle of Man is on course to make domestic cycling history.

The race for the maillot jaune was unchanged, as Rinaldo Nocentini maintained his six-second lead over Alberto Contador, with Contador's Astana teammate Lance Armstrong a further two seconds back in third. Bradley Wiggins of Great Britain fell two places to seventh after crashing on the treacherous final section of yesterday's stage.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Chris Barnett, Daily Telegraph: "Wednesday's stage between Vatan and Saint Fargeau presents more opportunities for the sprinters as does Thursday's run between Tonnerre and Vittle; after a testing Friday in the Vosges mountains the Colmar-Besancon stage on Saturday remains the final realistic opportunity of points for the quick men before the finale down the Champs Elysees a week on Saturday. Big tour wins are becoming common place for Cavendish but it is worth reiterating that in the last 15 months he has now accumulated seven separate Tour de France victories and five individual wins in the Giro d'Italia not to mention another position atop the podium in the team time-trial at this year's Giro."

Owen Slot, the Times: "Cavendish won four stages on the Tour last year and, given that today and tomorrow are also sprint stages, you would not bet against him rattling up a fourth this year, too. Not since Eddie Merckx, in the Seventies, has a rider twice won four stages on the Tour in the same decade. These are special times. Not surprisingly, Cavendish has confidence pumping through his veins. In an interview with The Times on the eve of yesterday's stage, he was asked if there were flaws in his finishing ability and replied: 'If I get it right and my team get it right, I don't think I'm beatable.'"

Richard Williams, the Guardian: "After another victory so clinical that it seemed almost undramatic Mark Cavendish stands one win away from Barry Hoban's British record, set between 1967 and 1975, of taking eight stages in the Tour de France. Cavendish is likely to have a chance to draw level with Hoban tomorrow, over a route that promises to end in another of the bunch sprints at which he is currently untouchable. A perfect lead-out from his Columbia-HTC squad funnelled the 24-year-old through two tight right-handers in the closing kilometre and safely on to the ramp of the 250m finishing straight, where his power took him away from his pursuers. Thor Hushovd, the 31-year-old Norwegian, settled for a second place that allowed him to keep the points leader's jersey." ·