Cavendish earns his 1st Tour victory

CHATEAUROUX, France -- His dream was within reach and Mark Cavendish didn't let it get away.

The British sprinter had been frustrated Monday when his chance to win a stage of this year's Tour de France was thwarted by a breakaway. On Wednesday, he got revenge by recording his first victory in cycling's premier race.

The Team Columbia rider took the fifth stage in a sprint after a three-rider breakaway that led almost the entire way in the Tour's longest leg was caught within sight of the finish line.

Stefan Schumacher of Germany retained the leader's yellow jersey on a day that allowed the sprinters to show their mettle, but had no impact on the standings. Contenders for the overall victory all finished safely in the pack.

Cavendish had hoped to win the third stage Monday, but the breakaway held out to the end, denying the sprinters a chance for a victory.

"Obviously after the other day, we were really disappointed, so it made us motivated for today," said the 23-year-old Cavendish. "For sure it is the biggest thing that has happened to me."

French national champion Nicolas Vogondy, who had been in Wednesday's breakaway, tried to hold off the pack at the end, but didn't have the strength.

"I wore [the French champion[']s jersey] nicely until 100 meters from the end, but I missed out on the most important 100 meters," Vogondy said. "I still had some reserves, but it's difficult to resist when the sprinters set off."

Cavendish completed the flat, 144-mile ride from Cholet to Chateauroux in 5 hours, 27 minutes, 52 seconds, edging veterans Oscar Freire of Spain and Erik Zabel of Germany.

All but five of the 177 finishers were given the same time, meaning there were no changes to the overall standings, where Schumacher leads Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg and David Millar of Britain by 12 seconds.

"It was great to enjoy this stage in the yellow jersey," Schumacher said. "Yesterday, it was a great mix of feelings given that the start of the season was not good for me. Yesterday, I could have cried, but I didn't want to cry in front of everyone. Today, I was much more relaxed."

Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde, one of the favorites for the overall title, had a scare when he hit debris about 50 miles into the stage and went over his handlebars. He injured his right arm, right knee and calf, but got back on his bike and kept riding.

The injuries are not expected to threaten Valverde's continued participation, the Caisse d'Epargne team said.

Wednesday's stage was the last opportunity the sprinters will have for a while. The Tour enters the mountains for the first time in today's sixth stage, a 121.5-mile trek from Aigurande to Super-Besse that features the moderate climbs of the Massif Central.