Cavendish hoping for first-leg victory

Bradley Wiggins enjoyed a fourth-placed finish in yesterday's prologue, but it's fellow Brit Mark Cavendish that will be hoping to succeed in the Tour de France's first leg today.

Maida Vale-born Bradley Wiggins cycled well in his hometown, shouted on by what was reported to be over a million enthusiasts lining London’s streets, but unfortunately the Olympic gold medallist could not beat Fabian Cancellera. Wiggins finished 10 seconds behind German runner-up Andreas Kloeden.

Yet today sees the focus switch to another Brit, the first British fastman to start the tour in 19 years. Cavendish, the first cyclist from the Isle of Man to compete in the Tour, enters the first stage with six wins under his belt in his first professional year. Many have tipped the T-Mobile man to to be an outside bet to win the first stage.

Cavendish boasts an unlikely route into the cycling arena via the ballroom – he was a dancer as a kid before breaking velodrome records as a 13 year old. This year the 22 year old won his first race in April when he won the Scheldeprijs Vlaaderen and his success continued in May, with successive stage wins in the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. More recently, with a win in stage 4 of the Ster Elektrotoer – Cavendish will be looking to continue his good form.

"The Tour is a lot faster than any other race," he said in a pre-race interview. "I've heard everything - uphill, downhill, the finish sprints - is three to five kilometres per hour [2-3mph] faster than other races. I've no apprehension at all about the finishes, only getting to the finish."

Cavendish win