Making good on his promise to bring home his first American win, top sprinter Mark Cavendish (of Team Columbia surged pass the charging peloton in the final 200 meters to win stage one of the 2008 Tour of Missouri. Cavendish, an emerging international star with four stage wins at the 2008 Tour de France to his credit, finished ahead of Team Garmin-Chipotle H3O’s Tyler Farrar. Francesco Chicchi of Liquigas rounded out the podium in third.

“I was just there. I was on George’s (Hincapie) wheel and Toyota (United) got the jump in the last kilometer,” said Cavendish. “Tyler (Farrar) jumped at 200 meters and I just slotted on his wheel and that gave me an extra two seconds rest. It was just a case of kicking past him and crossing the line.”

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Oscar Freire wins the bunch spring into Digne les Bains, beating out fellow sprinters Leonardo Duque (Cofidis) and Erik Zabel (Milram). This is the triple world champion’s fourth tour stage win of his career. Freire had this to say after the stage, “I hope to keep green,” said Freire. “And in the mountains we have a leader like Menchov. We hope he can take yellow… For me, Menchov is the best candidate [to win] this Tour.”

Missing from the sprint was Team Columbia sensation Mark Cavendish. Cavendish had a hard time making it over the catagory four climb 9.5km before Dignes les Bain, finishing 3:27 back. “It was really hard. We knew all along it was going to be hard. I tried to hang on, hang on,” said Cavendish to Versus reporter Frankie Andreu after the stage. “I’m just getting tired.” Cavendish is expected to take an early exit from the tour and not start stage 15. Cavendish’s next goal will be the Olympics.

Jersey standings remain the same. With Cadel Evans in the Maillot Jaune, Oscar Freire in the Maillot Vert, Sebastian Lang in Polka Dots, and Vincenzo Nibali in the Best Young Rider Jersey.

Stage 14 Results
1 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank - 4.13.08
2 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
3 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
4 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
5 Steven De Jongh (Ned) Quick Step
6 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) Lampre
7 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
8 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
9 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
10 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole

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Mark Cavendish thought that 3 was not quite enough and sprinted to another stage win in Nimes to make it 4. It looked like the Team Columbia rider was not going to make the bunch sprint when he was blocked with 700m to go, but it was only momentary and Cavendish was able to make a clear sprint to the line to beat out Robbie McEwen, Romain Feillu, Heinrich Haussler, and Oscar Gomez.

Cadel Evans finished with the peloton and will remain in yellow once again.

Stage 13 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - 4.25.42
2 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Silence - Lotto
3 Romain Feillu (Fra) Agritubel
4 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner
5 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
6 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
7 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
8 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
9 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
10 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux

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Mark Cavensish of Team Columbia sprinted to a win today in stage 12, adding to his stage win total of 3. Cavendish is the first ever Briton to do so and makes tour history for his accomplishment. Cadel Evans retails the yellow jersey, and the GC leader board remains the same. The stage started out with scandal though when Saunier Duval was informed just an hour before the stat that Riccardo Ricco was ousted following a positive doping control. His teammates and team then voluntarily abandoned the race as well.

Stage 12 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - 3.40.52
2 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
3 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step
4 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
5 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
6 Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Liquigas
7 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
8 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
9 Julian Dean (NZl) Team Garmin-Chipotle p/b H30
10 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Gerolsteiner

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On a wet a rainy day, where the race was overshadowed by the previous day’s news of a positive doping test, Team Columbia’s Cavendish sprinted to another stage win. It was sweet victory for Team Columbia as they had to work hard today, protecting the Maillot Jaune, but also working to give Cavendish a shot at the win. With the mountains looming, there are only a limited amount of stages left for sprinters.

Oscar Freire come in 4th on the day and gains the Green jersey, all others remain the same.

Stage 8 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - 4.02.54 (42.61km/h)
2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Columbia
3 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Agritubel
4 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
5 Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
6 Erik Zabel (Ger) Team Milram
7 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Quick Step
8 Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française des Jeux
9 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole
10 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld

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On a beautiful day through the southern Loire Valley of France, a small three man breakaway made up of Lilian Jegou (FdJ), Nicolas Vogundy (Agritubel) and Florent Brard (Cofidis) spent most of the day off the front. On what seemed to be a by the book long stage, the peloton waited until just the right moment to kick it up a notch and reel in the break. Entering the town of Châteauroux the sprinter’s teams had moved to the front and were flying to catch the three. Though with only 1.5 kilometers, Vogundy sprinted and looked as if he might get the win. But with only 200m to finish line Team Columbia worked hard to deliver their sprinter Mark Cavendish to the line.

Thor Hushovd moves into Green with his fourth place finish. All other jersey holders remain the same.

Stage Results
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) THR
2. Oscar Freire (ESP) RAB
3. Erik Zabel (GER) MRM
4. Thor Hushovd (NOR) C.A
5. Baden Cooke (AUS) BAR

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