Triple Crankset: Holy Manxman, Cavendish Takes Fifth

Sandwiched between the final Individual Time Trial and the climb up the mystical Mont Ventoux, today's 178 km Stage 19 from Bourgoin-Jallieu to Aubenas was supposed to be a relaxed transitional stage where a break would amble off the front and the peloton would amble, er race, after, but never quite catch them.

And for the first half of the race, that looked to be the circumstance as a group of twenty strong went off the front. But apparently a few teams did not receive the morning memo.

Rabobank, which for all intensive purposes has been missing from this year's Tour, also missed today's break. Determined to salvage the remainder of their Tour, the Dutch based team set out to bring back the break and set up their sprinter, Oscar Freire, for the finale.

The team was a success in the first part, but after their yeoman's like effort to catch the break only leader Denis Menchov was left to guide Freire to the finish line.

Enter the Columbia - HTC locomotive.

With a Category 2 climb less than forty kilometers from the finish in Aubenas, many had disregarded the sprinters' chances well before the race had started. But like the knockout artists of the "sweet science," a sprinter always has a puncher's chance for a victory. And no one knows this better than Columbia - HTC, which has the ultimate knockout artist in Mark Cavendish.

A slimmed down version of the Columbia -HTC train, including George Hincapie, Mark Renshaw and Tony Martin would reel in a late breakaway attempt by Laurent Lefevre (Bbox Bouygues Telecom) and Alessandro Ballan (Lampre), and soften up the other teams' sprinters before giving way to their own. Cavendish would deliver the final blow with an incredible long distance sprint that seemed as devastating at its launch as it did during its finish.

Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) and former teammate, Gerald Ciolek (Milram) contested the sprint, which is to say that they were closest to see Manxman claim his fifth win of this year's Tour.

Stage 19 Results
1. Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia - HTC)
2. Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team)
3. Gerald Ciolek (Milram)

With a bit of guile and attentiveness, Lance Armstrong (Astana) was able to pull back four seconds from the top two on the General Classification. Although he did not formerly contest the sprint, he was close enough to be given the same time at the finish. Armstrong now sits seventy seconds behind Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) for second place, while building a fifteen second lead over fourth placed Bradley Wiggins (Garmin-Slipstream)

General Classification After Stage 19
1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana - 73:15:39
2. Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank - 0:04:11
3. Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana - 0:05:21
4. Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream - 0:05:36
5. Andreas Klöden (Ger) Astana - 0:05:38
6. Fränk Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank - 0:05:59
7. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas - 0:07:15
8. Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream - 0:10:08
9. Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi - 0:12:38
10. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française des Jeux - 0:12:41

Jersey Leaders After Stage 19