Cavendish Is Back

Photo credit © Roberto Bettini

Stage five turned out to be the most exciting stage to date in this year's edition of the Tour de France.  All the sprinters, including Tyler Farrar, were there at the finish providing an exciting and strategic finish.  In the end, Mark Cavendish returned to form to runaway with the victory.
Thor Hushovd increased his lead in the points standings with a strong fifth place finish.
Again today, there were no changes in the General Classification (yellow jersey) standings.
Prediction for stage six:  More of the same.  If Cavendish is back in form he will be tough to beat.  Farrar, who finished 10th today, seems to be healing quite fast and may be ready to challenge. Hushovd will be at the front, but only a mistake by Cavendish will change the outcome.

Results - Stage 5

1	Mark Cavendish (GBR) Team HTC - Columbia	4:30:50
2	Gerald Ciolek (GER) Team Milram
3	Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Sky Professional Cycling Team
4	Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne
5	Thor Hushovd (NOR) Cervelo Test Team
6	Sébastien Turgot (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
7	Robbie McEwen (AUS) Team Katusha
8	Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini
9	Lloyd Mondory (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale
10	Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions
11	Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne
12	Daniel Oss (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo
13	Danilo Hondo (GER) Lampre-Farnese Vini
14	Nicolas Roche (IRL) AG2R La Mondiale
15	Yukiya Arashiro (JPN) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
16	Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (ESP) Sky Professional Cycling Team
17	Andriy Grivko (UKR) Astana
18	Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack
19	Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP) Astana
20	Egoi Martinez De Esteban (ESP) Euskaltel - Euskadi

Point Standings (Green Jersey) 

1	Thor Hushovd (NOR) Cervelo Test Team	102	pts
2	Alessandro Petacchi (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini	88
3	Robbie McEwen (AUS) Team Katusha	81
4	Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (ESP) Caisse d'Epargne	73
5	Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) Sky Professional Cycling Team	64
6	Sébastien Turgot (FRA) Bbox Bouygues Telecom	59
7	Geraint Thomas (GBR) Sky Professional Cycling Team	59
8	Daniel Oss (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo	54
9	Mark Cavendish (GBR) Team HTC - Columbia	50
10	Gerald Ciolek (GER) Team Milram	49
11	Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Quick Step	44
12	Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC Racing Team	42
13	Fabian Cancellara (SUI) Team Saxo Bank	37
14	Jurgen Roelandts (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto	36
15	Mark Renshaw (AUS) Team HTC - Columbia	35
16	Ryder Hesjedal (CAN) Garmin - Transitions	30
17	Julian Dean (NZL) Garmin - Transitions	30
18	Julien El Farès (FRA) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne	29
19	Nicolas Roche (IRL) AG2R La Mondiale	28
20	Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP) Astana	27