Mark Cavendish (Sky) in the gold jersey in 2012(Image credit: Rob Lampard)
Mark Cavendish says goodbye to the 2014 Tour de France before the start of stage 2 after separating his shoulder(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) have a chat on the start line(Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The former world champion could not get out of the saddle in the final sprint due to his injuries but managed to take third. Cavendish’s crash happened after he was forced to change his cleats mid-stage. During the chase back he was forced to take immediate action after a car in front of him hit the brakes.
"I had to change my cleats in the beginning of the stage. I was coming back after and I was behind a car. Someone had to stop for a puncture so the car slammed on its brakes, and there was an island in the road. If I went right, I would hit a traffic island, so I went left and I whacked another car. I hit it with my left leg and I was down on the road," he said in a team press release.
"I felt immediately a lot of pain on my quadriceps. It took me a lap to come back even because our team car couldn't assist me immediately because it was on the front. At that point I wasn't planning to sprint either, it was painful. But after a couple of laps we decided to just try anyway, but sprint seated because I was in pain. I still got third, but it's a shame because I really wanted to try and win in front of the British public. But accidents like this are a part of cycling and it's just a matter of bad luck. I really hope that the luck turns in the next days..."
The Tour of Britain continues on Monday with a 200-kilometre stage between Knowsley and Llandudno.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
