Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) ensured he had time for at least one more victory before his year as national champion draws to a close.

In his last stage race before he defends the blue, white and red striped jersey in Abergavenny, Cavendish stormed to victory with a perfectly-timed sprint into a headwind.

With Omega Pharma-Quickstep flexing their sprinting muscle ahead of the Tour de France, the Manx Missile was pushed close until exploding into life with a powerful second kick to take the stage win.

It was a sprinting masterclass for his rivals, and a statement of intent ahead of the Tour de France Grand Depart, which is now just two-and-a-half weeks away.

Relive Cavendish’s victory, on a stage which saw fellow Brit SIr Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) take a tumble, in the full-screen gallery below.

Discuss in the forum