7 Jul 2011

Briton wins crashed-filled fifth stage of tour de France

6:29 am on 7 July 2011

The British rider Mark Cavendish has become one of the top 10 stage winners in the Tour de France after racing to victory in an incident-packed fifth stage.

The Briton surged in the last stretch of the 164.5-km to pip the Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert and Spain's Jose Joaquin Rojas on the line.

The Manxman's 16th stage success in the Tour drew him level with the number of stage victories by five-times Tour winner Jacques Anquetil.

Norway's Thor Hushovd retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.

Almost all the big names in the peloton, including three times champion Alberto Contador, hit the tarmac in a windswept ride along the coast of Brittany.

New Zealand's Julian Dean finished with the huge main bunch, and was credited with the same stage time as the winner.