• Tour de France Stage 5, Carhaix to Cap Frehel

Cavendish takes stage win as Brajkovic's Tour ends

Janez Brajkovic's Tour de France came to an end following a crash on Wednesday © Getty Images

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• Profile: Mark Cavendish

Another day of drama on the Tour de France saw RadioShack lose team leader Janez Brajkovic on account of a sickening crash, as Mark Cavendish claimed his first stage win of the race.

There have been spills galore in the first week of the Tour and it was no different on Stage Five between Crahaix and Cap Frehel, as Alerto Contador was on the floor once again, Nicki Sorensen was shockingly knocked off by a photographer's motorcycle, Bradley Wiggins hit the deck and Rabobank team-leader Robet Gesink also took a tumble.

But all those were minor scrapes compared to the crash that forced Brajkovic out of the tour. Shortly after the intermediate sprint that saw Cavendish baulked by Tom Boonen (who was later involved in a nasty spill himself), Brajkovic appeared to clip wheels. He hit the ground at a rate and was then hit from behind by Gesink. He was motionless for a time, before getting groggily to his feet. He was treated on the side of the road, but patching him up proved a hopeless task and he was helped into the ambulance and out of the Tour.

At the business end, Thomas Voeckler and Jeremy Roy jumped away with 20kms remaining but were hauled in by the peloton with two kilometres to run.

The little climb to the line did not appear to favour Cavendish and he lost his HTC-Highroad lead-out train when Edvald Boasson Hagen jumped off the front with 600 kms to go. But the Manxman did not panic and the picked up the whell of Philippe Gilbert with 100 to go and timed his run to perfection to lift his 16th Tour stage win.

Cavendish believes Tour organisers are making life tough for him, as he told Eurosport: "What the organisers have done is make it hard for a bunch spring, because we dominated last year. They have done that because we have the best team. They have tried to make it a handicap and that was proper hard.

Mark Cavendish once again showed his sprinting prowess © Getty Images

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"I thought with 1800metres to go and when the other sprinters came it was over. Griepel bashed into me and after the other day I cannot defend myself, he said in reference to when he was disqualified from the Intermediate Sprint following a clash. "So I dropped back and I thought my day was over. I went to try and get some points and my legs were going, but I am happy with that.

"The nine guys in the team did a tremendous job. It did not look like a normal train but they kept he pace high. I got further back but that probably helped and it is nice to overcome adversity and doubt."

Tour de France Stage Five, Carhaix to Cap Frehel:
1. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Highroad - 3:38:30
2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto - same time
3. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team - same time
4. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne - same time
5. Geraint Thomas (GB) Sky Procycling - same time
6. Andre Greipel (Ger) Omega Pharma-Lotto - same time
7. Sebastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale - same time
8. William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ - same time
9. Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale - same time
10. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Garmin-Cervelo - same time

General classification after Stage Five:
1. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Garmin-Cervelo 17:36:57
2. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing - at one second
3. Frank Schleck (Lux) Team Leopard-Trek - at four seconds
4. David Millar (GB) Team Garmin-Cervelo - at eight seconds
5. Andreas Kloden (Ger) Team Radioshack - at ten seconds
6. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky - at ten seconds
7. Geraint Thomas (GB) Team Sky - at 12 seconds
8. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky - at 12 seconds
9. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Leopard-Trek - at 12 seconds
10. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Leopard-Trek - at 12 seconds
24. Nicolas Roche (RoI), AG2r La Mondiale - at one minute, 12 seconds
39. Alberto Contador (Spa) Saxo-Bank - at one minute, 42 seconds
81. Mark Cavendish (GB) HTC-Highroad - at four minutes, 22 seconds

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