Cavendish Wins Tour Stage; Armstrong Plays It Safe

He burst from the main pack behind a textbook escort by his Columbia teammates, then took over alone to finish a split second in front.

American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, right, and his teammate Alberto Contador...

American seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, right, and his teammate Alberto Contador of Spain, left, wearing the best climber's dotted jersey, are seen during the second stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 187 kilometers (116 miles) with start in Monaco and finish in Brignolles, southern France, Sunday July 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

(AP)

"I'm glad I could win to just pay them back," Cavendish said, who finished in 4 hours, 30 minutes, 2 minutes — the same time as all but two of the riders. "It's emotional for me."

With his fifth Tour stage win, Cavendish took the green jersey awarded to the best sprinter. This is his third Tour, but he has never finished. He wants that to change when the three-week race ends July 26 in Paris.

Armstrong, teammate Contador and other title contenders approached the stage cautiously to avoid crashes. Armstrong was 80th and Contador 58th.

The stage featured four minor climbs along sun-baked hills in a layout that favored sprinters and breakaway specialists. During the ride, water bottles sailed out of the pack like corn kernels popping, as cyclists refreshed themselves along the route that featured medieval sites like a Cistercian abbey.

There were three minor crashed midway through the race. One involved Saxo Bank team rider Frank Schleck of Luxembourg, a possible title contender.

In the first, Jurgen Van De Walle, a Belgian with the Quick Step team, scraped and bruised his left shoulder and knee. It was not clear if he would start Monday.

"With the heat like that, sometimes there's a lack of concentration among the riders," Cancellara said.

The field will face a similar ride Monday, a 122-mile leg from the port city of Marseille to La Grande Motte. The forecast is for hot weather.

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AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrequin contributed to this report.

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