Cavendish wins stage, Froome keeps yellow

Britain's Mark Cavendish claimed his fourth stage victory in this year's Tour de France on Saturday. The 31-year-old took the honours on the 208.5km 14th stage from Montelimar to Parc des Oiseaux ahead of Norway's Alexander Kristoff and Peter Sagan of Slovakia.

Mark Cavendish won the 14th stage of Tour de France on Saturday. LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP

It was the Manx Missile's 30th stage victory in total at the Tour. Only Belgian legend Eddy Merckx has won more with 34.

Fellow Briton Chris Froome finished in the peloton to maintain the yellow jersey of race leader ahead of Dutchman Bauke Mollema and Adam Yates of Britain.

The finish was long and German Marcel Kittel was on course for the victory, but, Cavendish stayed just behind his rival's wheel to use the slipstream.

Then he darted out to make his final kill and there was no doubt who was going to win.

Kittel sat up protesting, but by then the German was already beaten.

Kittel had won four stages in each of the 2013 and 2014 editions of the Tour while another German, Andre Greipel, also won four stages last year.

Over those three years, Cavendish won only three stages in total.

But Cavendish averaged five stage wins per Tour in the period 2008-2011 and is clearly back to his best, proving that he is the world’s best sprinter for now.