Mark Cavendish update: Sprinter fined, loses green jersey at Tour of Oman
Cavendish docked nine points and issued with a 300 Swiss franc fine for pushing off race vehicles in Monday's stage of Oman.
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Mark Cavendish has lost the green jersey before the final stage of the Tour of Oman after being penalized for pushing off cars during stage five on Monday.
Cavendish was presented as the leader of the points classification following the stage to Green Mountain, which shook up the GC, but, according to Wielerfits, was later docked nine points and issued with a 300 Swiss franc fine for violation of UCI rule 4.3.
The 36-year-old now sits fifth on the points classification ahead of Tuesday’s sixth and final stage, which should end in a bunch sprint. New race leader Jan Hirt (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) now also leads the green jersey competition after his solo victory on Monday.
Cavendish suffered abrasions when he and Ignatas Konovalovas (Groupama-FDJ) crashed due to a touch of wheels during the “queen stage” but was active later, picking up bonuses on an intermediate prime. He finished the stage well behind sprint rivals Fernando Gaviria and Kaden Groves, crossing the line with teammate Iljo Keisse.
Also read: ‘Cav’ crashes but uninjured in Oman
The Briton sported a torn kit at the finish but after being assessed by a team doctor was deemed fine.
“As is normal with the chaos of echelons forming I had a touch of wheels and unfortunately I came down quite heavily,” he said in a statement on Monday night. “I am lucky that my injuries seem to not be too bad and I was able to get on my bike, with just some bruising and external abrasions.
“I hope that the other riders involved are also ok and I would also like to thank the race doctor for looking after me.”
Cavendish will have an opportunity to reclaim the green jersey Tuesday. However, Gaviria now trails him by only one point so the Colombian could snare it, should he win on the Matrah Corniche. The pair are currently one apiece.
It adds to what was a bad day for Cavendish’s Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team, which also lost the leader’s jersey on Green Mountain after Fausto Masnada cracked under pressure from Hirt, who celebrated his first win in six years.
A start on the coastline with @MarkCavendish at the front – stage 6 is on!#TourofOman pic.twitter.com/CUWzvJvfuj
— Tour of Oman (@tourofoman) February 15, 2022