Mark Cavendish wins third stage

Mark Cavendish won his second consecutive stage yesterday at the Tour de France, taking the 196km Marseille to La Grande-Motte third leg of the race with another sprint finish after his Columbia-HTC team had set him up.

The win means that British cyclist Cavendish remains in the green jersey of the points leader of the race, while Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara of the Saxo Bank team holds onto the maillot jeune for the best overall rider.

Meanwhile Lance Armstrong, the returning seven-time Tour champion, has moved up into third place overall in the standings after finishing in the leading pack yesterday. He could regain the yellow jersey at today's team time trial.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Richard Williams, the Guardian: "If you believed Mark Cavendish, it was one of those spur-of-the-moment things. According to him, the dramatically unexpected tactical shift that prefaced his win in yesterday's third stage of the 2009 Tour de France, and may also have transformed the race into one of the most memorable in its 106-year history, just came into his team's heads as they turned a corner and the wind changed. It was hard to believe. At this level, cycling is like chess on wheels. Fate can play a part, certainly, but brilliant gambits are usually the result of careful forethought. Yesterday Cavendish and his eight Columbia-HTC colleagues manipulated the race with a collective skill that could only have been the result of rigorous planning, even if the details of timing were left to the moment."

Brendan Gallagher, Daily Telegraph: "As for Cavendish, this latest sensational win speaks volumes for his new levels of fitness as he looks to own the green jersey all the way to Paris. The break was so quick that you wondered if it might take the sting out of his finish but Columbia handled it superbly, his trusted final lead-out man, Mark Renshaw, looking after him at the back until the action really hotted up. As in Brignoles on Sunday, Renshaw dropped him off perfectly about 200m out and although on this occasion Thor Hushovd did raise a spirited gallop in pursuit, there was never any danger of Cavendish being headed. That makes it 11 Grand tour wins in 14 months, six in the Tour de France. His reputation grows apace."

Jeremy Whittle, the Times: "As Cavendish further emphasised his apparent invincibility in sprints, Armstrong proved that he is far from a spent force, taking advantage of the crosswinds to slip into the Team Columbia-driven front group that sped clear of Alberto Contador, the American's Astana team-mate and the race favourite. Armstrong had no hesitation in contributing to the high pace despite Contador, Astana's supposed leader, being adrift behind him. On his Twitter page, Armstrong commented: 'A group snuck off in the last 25 kilometres. I was lucky enough to be there.' He added that he had 'gained valuable time but most likely minor in the scheme of three weeks.'"