Green jersey success is clear possibility for Cavendish

Winning in cycling’s biggest race has become routine for the 26-year-old from the Isle of Man, who finished a surprise second on Tuesday but yesterday moved to seventh on the all-time list of Tour stage winners.

The HTC-Highroad sprinter has accumulated four wins in 2008, six in 2009 – the last time he donned the maillot vert – five in 2010 and now three in 2011, with 10 stages still to race. He revealed the victory came despite having to adjust his shoe in the final 600 metres of the 11th stage.

Cavendish’s foot had accidentally brushed against the front wheel of Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil) – a man the Briton described earlier in the Tour as “kamikaze” – undoing the Manxman’s buckle. Cavendish said: “There were 10 of us close together and my shoe banged into his front wheel.

“My foot technically came out of the shoe, I had to reach down and slide the ratchet (buckle) and re-do it with 600m to go.

“But there was nothing intentional, nothing dangerous between Feillu and me. It just so happened it was him – it could have been anyone.”

Cavendish’s success came on the 44th anniversary of Tom Simpson’s death and in torrential rain. The 45 points for the win and nine from the day’s intermediate sprint in Gaillac – leading the peloton over the line after the six-man breakaway – saw Cavendish take a 16-point lead in the race for the maillot vert, after seizing control of the competition from Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto).

Cavendish now has 251 points, with Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) second on 235 and Gilbert third on 231 in what appears to be a three-man race.

The Tour heads for the Pyrenees today, so Cavendish’s next chance will come en route to the Alps on Sunday. Cavendish is unsure of his chances to hold onto the green jersey, believing there are just two bunch sprints remaining before the Tour concludes in Paris on July 24.

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) retained the yellow jersey as the top of the overall classification, but expects to be disposed as race leader on today’s 211km 12th stage from Cugnaux to Luz-Ardiden.