July 14th, 2009 by 
thien
Team Columbia-HTC’s Mark Cavendish sprinted to his third stage win at this years Tour de France at the end of a technology free stage 10. Lead out by Mark Renshaw, Cavendish admitted even he thought he may have started the sprint too soon, but it didn’t matter, because green jersey holder Thor Hushovd could only follow Cavendish to the line.
Rinaldo Nocentini remains in the Maillot Jaune.
Stage 10 Results
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia - HTC - 4:46:43
2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team
3 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Slipstream
4 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
5 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
6 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
7 Kenny Robert van Hummel (Ned) Skil-Shimano
8 William Bonnet (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
9 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas
10 Saïd Haddou (Fra) BBOX Bouygues Telecom
General classification after stage 10
1 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale - 39:11:04
2 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 0:00:06
3 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana - 0:00:08
4 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana - 0:00:54
5 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana
6 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - HTC - 0:01:00
7 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream - 0:01:01
8 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream - 0:01:24
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank - 0:01:49
10 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - 0:01:54
Jersey Standings:
Rinaldo Nocentini
Thor Hushovd
Egoi Martinez
Tony Martin
Links to news sites…
“Cavendish takes his third stage of the Tour de France
ISSOUDUN, France (AFP) — British rider Mark Cavendish won his third stage of this year’s Tour de France here on Tuesday when he claimed the 10th stage and his seventh in three participations.
Italian cyclist Rinaldo Nocentini retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
On the first stage in years to be held entirely without the radio earpieces, through which team managers can communicate in their cars to the riders, a four-man group broke away early in the 194.5 km stage between Limoges to Issoudun.” Read more from the AFP…
“Cavendish wins technology-free Tour stage
By JEROME PUGMIRE
ISSOUDUN, France (AP) — Teammates Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong remained second and third in the Tour de France after a technology-free day of riding in which Britain’s Mark Cavendish won the 10th stage.
Organizers banned rider earpieces for Tuesday’s 121-mile route, forcing cyclists to devise tactics without radio instructions from team cars.
Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy kept the leader’s yellow jersey on a flat route favoring sprinters. Contador crossed the line in 40th place. Armstrong, the seven-time champion, finished in the main pack at 46th. Overall, Nocentini stayed six seconds ahead of Contador and eight in front of Armstrong.
Armstrong is coming out of 3 1/2 years of retirement and chasing an eighth Tour title. Contador is aiming for a second title after winning in 2007. The Spanish mountain specialist was unable to defend his title last year because his Astana team was barred from the race because of doping scandals.” Read more from the AP…
“Cavendish goes long to claim third stage
Hushovd, Farrar could not get the jump on Columbia star
It’s been four years since a Frenchman, David Moncoutié, won on Bastille Day and the home country will have to wait another year for one of its own to emerge victorious on this national holiday. Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia-HTC) won his third stage of the Tour, taking advantage of a textbook lead-out to win the tenth stage’s bunch gallop into Issoudun.
Green jersey holder Thor Hushovd (Cervelo TestTeam) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Slipstream) finished second and third respectively, unable to counter the blazing Manxman’s finishing acceleration. The second place was just enough for Hushovd to hold onto the points classification lead.” Read more from CyclingNews.com…
“Cav’ wins stage 10
Despite rider and team concerns, race radio ban goes ahead
Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) won a leisurely, radio-free 10th stage of Tour de France on Tuesday.
It was Bastille Day, and a breakaway full of Frenchmen declared independence early on, but the home crowd would have no reason to celebrate the finale — with a little help from George Hincapie and Mark Renshaw, Cavendish won yet another drag race to the line ahead of green jersey Thor Hushovd (Cervélo TestTeam) and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Chipotle).” Read more from VeloNews.com…
July 14th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Cav looks unbeatable out there!
July 14th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I like the idea of a radio free race, but it’s going to take more than a stage or two for the experiment to be valid. The teams can essentially ignore the 2 stages and instruct their riders to put on a good show. I like the idea of the riders/teams on the road needing to know what’s going on around them instead of just waiting for their director to let them know that someone dangerous is up the road.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Lance looks to be in very good form and should do very well in the Alps. Can’t wait to see him show Alberto how its done.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Is it me? Or is Mark Cavendish slowly starting to morph into the GEICO gecko? Perhaps the limey green glasses are adding just the right accent.
July 14th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
This was unfortunately the most boring of all the stages so far. I believe that the experiment has been nullified by the riders. This may have been orchestrated or just happened to work out this way but either way it was not any better.
If the UCI and/or ASO really wants to make the flat stages exciting they will have to make the payouts for intermediate sprints very high so the teams will create many other races inside the race.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
The other sprinters just aren’t going to beat Cavendish in a straight-up sprint. If there was a category 3 hill just about 2-3 meters from the finish where Thor or Tyler could put some distance on Cavendish they’d have a chance. Don’t see that happening.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
I say Astana: 1, 2, 3 in Paris!
July 15th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I agree it was a pretty boring stage. I’m not convinced it was radio-related, though. The lack of radios is an interesting experiment but I think it would be much more interesting and relevant if the experiment were conducted on a more mountainous stage. That would force riders to employ old-fashioned road-smarts and tactics.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:34 am
If the Tour organizers want to experiment, how about this: Allow the public to hear the instructions given to the riders during a stage. I would love to be a fly on the wall as the finish gets closer and hear what Brunyeel has to say to Contador and Lance as they pass through the mountains in Stage 17…that would be good radio!