Cavendish shows his speed in Giro sprint

Photo: © Astana - Qazaqstan

Photo: © Astana - Qazaqstan

High Road’s Mark Cavendish showed he is the fastest sprinter at the Giro d’Italia by winning stage 13 to
Cittadella on Friday with his now trade mark powerful late acceleration.
Cavendish lost to Bennati by just three centimetres on Thursday but was so far ahead of the other sprinters
at the finish in Cittadella that he had time to raise his arm and celebrate his second stage win at the 2008 Giro. Bennati finished second and Spain’s Koldo Fernandez was third.

Yet again the High Road team protected Cavendish in the final kilometres of the sprint, carefully piloting the peloton around the difficult finishing circuit. Everyone in the team rode for Cavendish and he paid them back with his seventh win of the season.
“After losing by so little in Carpi I promised my team mates I’d win and we did a perfect sprint. They gave me a great lead out and then I did the rest,” Cavendish said.

Cavendish went between the barriers and Italy’s Daniele Bennati in the final two hundred metres and then accelerated away to win. He made sure he thanked Bennati for letting him through.
“I know I have to say a massive thanks to Bennati,” Cavendish said.

“I actually shouted thanks to him as I went passed him with a hundred metres to go. He showed great sportsmanship, so that we could both contest the sprint and show who really is the fastest. I hope to pay him back some time in the future for his kindness.”
Cavendish celebrated his 23rd birthday on Wednesday but waited until winning to celebrate with his High
Road team mates.
“I think we can celebrate my birthday a bit now,” he said with a smile.
“We usually have a bottle of champagne for someone’s birthday but I told everybody we’d wait until I won
another stage. Winning again is a perfect birthday present for me and for the team who did a great job.”
Cavendish admitted he is probably the fastest in the final 100 metres of sprints but acknowledged he still has a lot to learn.
“My age means I’m the fastest for speed and acceleration in the last 100 metres when we go from 50km/h to 70km/h,” he said. “I think I’m the fastest and I’m lucky that it enables me to win, but I’m not the strongest sprinter by far.”
“Fortunately I’ve got the perfect team, with riders who have been professional for five years helping me
win. That means more than physical talent.”


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