The 12th stage of the Vuelta a Espana has been won by British sprint expert Mark Cavendish, following a miscalculation by the chasing peloton that allowed him victory with limited resistance from any of his rivals.
The victory for HTC Columbia's sprinter made him only the second British rider - after Robert Millar - to win stages at all grand tours, having secured fifteen wins at the Tour de France and five at the Giro d'Italia.
"It was a very special feeling to have done that" said Cavendish.
"I grew up watching these races and even to take part in a major tour is a special honour. To be able to win in all three is just incredible."
The peloton failed to respond to a swift HTC Columbia attack, with an impeccably timed team move assisting Cavendish in his first ever stage win on the Vuelta a Espana. Under conditions perfect for sprinters, Cavendish completed the flat 172.5km stage from Andorra La Vella to Lleida in 4 hours 30 seconds, defeating American Tyler Farrar and team-mate Matt Goss.
"It's really special to win stages in all three major Tours, but there are always eight teammates who get me into a position where I can win" Cavendish said afterwards.
"When I do succeed, it's on behalf of the team. We've a young squad here, and we're learning day-by-day and getting tighter and tighter in the finishes. It's going well."
The victory helped Cavendish regain control of the points classification, establishing a nine-point advantage over his rivals. Despite this, his principal focus remains stage-wins, indicating "I would like to try and win it outright, but my main objective is stage wins. Hopefully I'll get some more and the points jersey will work out as well."
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For more information about Team HTC-Columbia and High Road Sports visit www.highroadsports.com
