No uphill struggle

We're just past halfway in the 2009 Tour de France, and after the excitement and controversy of the first few days, the race's middle week is, quite frankly, a bit dull - at least on paper - as the route saves its biggest challenges for the final leg next week, giving the leading GC contenders the opportunity to spend several days cruising along in the relative anonymity of the main field.

Truth be told, after an exciting summit finish at Arcalis on Friday, the final two days in the Pyrenees proved to be a massive anticlimax - with long downhill run-ins effectively neutering iconic climbs such as the Col du Tourmalet and discouraging any attacks by the leading GC riders. Luis-Leon Sanchez won Saturday's stage into Saint-Girons, with Pierrick Fedrigo first into Tarbes the following day, both at the end of long breakaways which the peloton was content to let go. Pretty routine stuff, really, although Fedrigo's win marked the third stage win by a French rider in this year's Tour: a good return for the home fans.

Following Monday's rest day, the last two days have been standard transition stages as the race blasts its way northwards again, with some high octane excitement in the form of two big sprint finishes. Now it's the turn of us Brits to celebrate, with Mark Cavendish notching up his seventh and eighth career Tour stage wins, equalling Barry Hoban's long-standing British record.

Tuesday's stage from Limoges to Issoudun was yet another example of Columbia HTC's exemplary team work, with all nine riders controlling the front of the peloton on the run in to the finish, leaving first George Hincapie and then Mark Renshaw to do the hard pulling inside the final kilometre, setting up Cav to launch himself inside the final 200 metres to a routine win over Thor Hushovd.

Yesterday's stage into Saint-Fargeau, while nominally a flat stage, featured a nasty uphill kick in the final 500 metres which looked to count against Cav - in last Thursday's finish at Barcelona, which featured a longer but similar finish, he had only finished 16th. Which made the Maxman's win all the more impressive. Hincapie and Renshaw did their bit, but Cavendish then had to go shoulder-to-shoulder - literally- with Hushovd, and then had to withstand Tyler Farrar's challenge, the young American pulling within a bike's length before Cav kicked again in the final 50 metres to secure the win.

It was the closest of Cavendish's four wins (to date) on this year's Tour, but it was probably the most impressive. Not only did he have to negotiate an uphill finish which theoretically favoured the power of Hushovd or Rabobank's Oscar Freire, not only did he have to stand his ground physically as he touched shoulders with Hushovd, but he also demonstrated that most precious of sprinter's abilities: the final change of gear to close out a full-pelt sprint when others are already maxed out.

There is no doubt that Mark Cavendish is currently the best sprinter in the world in road race cycling. But it should also be recognised that he has the best sprint team in the business too - Columbia's work in chasing down breakaways, controlling the tempo in the final 10km and then dropping their man into exactly the right place at exactly the right time is unparalleled. At the end of a long, hard day in the saddle, it is a pleasure to watch.

Today's stage to Vittel features six smaller categorised climbs. In days gone by, this would probably have worked against Cavendish. In his current form, it would be foolish to discount him. Don't be surprised if this afternoon Cav delivers his fifth stage win this year - and third in a row.