What a sprint! What a win! What a statement!
I can’t recall the last time I screamed with joy (and surprise) during a sprint finish.
Not only could Phil Liggett not believe someone was going to come from behind Mark Cavendish (after Cavendish had already begun his sprint) and beat him to the line – Cavendish couldn’t believe it either.
Just before Cavendish hit the finish line he looked over at Marcel Kittel and apparently couldn’t believe his eyes. Kittel hit the finish line perfectly throwing his bike at just the right moment to take the stage win, finishing half a wheel length ahead of Cavendish.
As Kittel crossed the line he didn’t even celebrate, Cavendish stared at him in disbelief probably not quite believing he actually got pipped at the line.
I don’t know what Cavendish was thinking, but what many of us were thinking was – Justice.
In the 2 days since Stage 10 when Cavendish knocked Kittel leadout Tom Veelers off his bike causing him to hit the pavement hard, he has had urine thrown on him, been uninvited to a Dutch race and today lost a stage he and most everyone else thought he would win.
Priceless.
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