Pumped-up Cavendish ready to silence critics

Mark Cavendish will be out to silence his critics when the fifth stage takes the peloton on a trek from Carhaix to Cap Frehel.

Mur de Bretagne: An angry Mark Cavendish will be out to silence his critics when the fifth stage takes the peloton on a 164.5-km trek from Carhaix to Cap Frehel on Wednesday.

Briton Cavendish, who will join the top 10 of Tour stage winners if he claims his 16th victory, failed in his first attempt on Monday after being squeezed between two riders in the finale of the third stage. "It`s a shame. I think it`s going to take a very uneducated person to write me off this year," he said. Cavendish, who has been criticised for his sometimes wild sprinting, said he will be ready on Wednesday."I`ve got great form, the team`s got great form," he promised. "We can come back and win," his HTC team mate Mark Renshaw added. Last year, Cavendish missed out on a stage win three times before prevailing in the fifth stage, bursting into tears after crossing the finish line. His main opponents if a mass sprint unwinds in the picturesque finale amidst moors and cliffs should again be American Tyler Farrar, the third stage winner, 2010 green jersey winner Alessandro Petacchi and German Andre Greipel, among others. But the course along the sea could favour sidewinds splitting the pack in several little bunches and favourites should remain on their guard. Bureau Report