Mark Cavendish realised a dream today on the Champ Elysees in Paris. He secured the green jersey on his back by winning the Tour de France's final stage.
"Wearing the green jersey here in Paris," said Cavendish, "is something special for my palmarès."
Team HTC-Highroad's Cavendish sprinted ahead of Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen after 95 kilometres and nine laps around Paris. The points earned added to his haul over three weeks, including four other wins, and kept him above Spaniard José Joaquín Rojas (Movistar).
The Manx cyclist is the first British rider to win the green jersey. It was first introduced in 1953, when Swiss Fritz Schär won it.
Besides Robert Millar's ride into the polka-dot mountains jersey in 1984, Cavendish is the only British rider to have won one of the Tour's classification jerseys.
"I am super happy. It didn't come easy this year," added Cavendish. "The guys were tired, but those 8 guys gave their all."
Cavendish finished second in the last two years.
The race jury made a questionable ruling in 2009 and disqualified him from receiving points in the sprint to Besançon. The jersey battle swung in Thor Hushovd's favour. He helped secure the jersey with an attack on the mountain stage to Le Grand-Bornand. Despite six stage wins, Cavendish lost the sprinters' jersey.
Last year, he won five stages, but fell 10 points shy of the green jersey. Italian Alessandro Petacchi gained points by consistently placing highly in the sprints and took the jersey in Paris.
Cavendish won five stages again this year - Cap Fréhel, Châteauroux, Lavaur, Montpellier and Paris - and went for the intermediate sprints. Today, he placed first behind a six-man escape with Ben Swift and gained nine points.
The Tour de France changed the point scale for stage wins and intermediate sprints this year. Only one a day, intermediate sprints offered greater and deeper points. 20 points for the win and the following points for second through 15th: 17, 15, 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.
Flat and medium-mountain stages offered more points, but not as deep. A flat stage, like today's in Paris, offered 45, 35, 30, 26, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2.
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Tour de France 2011: Teams, riders, start list
Tour de France 2011: Official start list
Tour de France 2011: Who's riding?
Tour de France 2011: Team guide
Tour de France 2011: Stage reports
Stage 20: Evans blows Schlecks away and takes yellow to Paris
Stage 19: King Rolland crowned on the Alpe but team-mate Voeckler loses yellow to Andy Schleck
Stage 18: Andy Schleck wins, Contador cracks and Voeckler keeps yellow by seat of his pants
Stage 17: Boasson Hagen makes it two for Sky as Voeckler loses more time
Stage 16: Evans and Contador go on the attack as Hushovd wins in Gap
Stage 15: Cavendish takes fourth stage win in 2011 Tour
Stage 14: Vanendert surprises the favourites as Voeckler holds on
Stage 13: World champ Hushovd takes well deserved solo Tour win
Stage 12: Sanchez wins at Luz Ardiden as Frank Schleck gains on other contenders
Stage 11: Cavendish moves into green after winning in Lavaur
Stage 10: Greipel beats Cavendish in Tour stage 10 sprint
Stage nine: Sanchez conquers day of crashes and climbs
Stage eight: Costa wins first mountain stage of 2011 Tour
Stage seven: Cavendish wins but Wiggins crashes out of Tour
Stage six: Boasson Hagen takes Sky's first Tour de France win
Stage five: Cavendish wins in Cap Frehel
Stage four: Evans edges out Contador on the Mur-de-Bretagne
Stage three: Farrar sprints to first Tour victory in Redon
Stage two: Garmin win team time trial to put Hushovd in yellow
Stage one: Gilbert blasts to victory as Tour gets off to spectacular start
Tour de France 2011: Highlights videos
Stage 20 video highlights
Stage 19 video highlights
Stage 18 video highlights
Stage 17 video highlights
Stage 16 video highlights
Stage 15 video highlights
Stage 14 video highlights
Stage 13 video highlights
Stage 12 video highlights
Stage 11 video highlights
Video: Feeding the riders at the Tour
Stage 10 video highlights
Stage nine video highlights
Stage eight video highlights
Stage seven video highlights
Stage six video highlights
Video: Erik Zabel's role as Cavendish's sprint advisor
Stage five video highlights
Video: The ride of Philippe Gilbert at the Tour de France
Stage four video highlights
Stage three video highlights
Stage two video highlights
Stage one video highlights
Tour de France 2011: Photo galleries
Stage 20 photo gallery by Graham WatsonStage 19 photo gallery by Graham WatsonStage 18 photo gallery by Graham WatsonStage 17 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 16 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 15 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 14 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 13 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 12 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 11 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage 10 photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage nine photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage eight photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage seven photo gallery by Graham Watson
Tour de France 2011 wallpaper gallery
Stage six photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage five photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage four photo gallery by Andy Jones
Stage four photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage three photo gallery by Graham Watson
Stage two photo gallery by Andy Jones
Stage two photo gallery by Graham WatsonStage one photo gallery by Graham Watson
Tour de France 2011 team time trial training photo gallery by Andy Jones
Tour de France 2011 team presentation by Andy Jones
Tour de France 2011 team press conferences by Andy Jones
Tour de France 2011 team presentation by Graham Watson
Tour de France 2011: Live text coverage
Tour de France 2011 LIVE: CW's text coverage schedule
Stage seven live text coverage
Tour de France 2011: Archive videos
Video: 2003 Centenary Tour
Video: Lance Armstrong retrospective
Video: Behind the scenes at the Tour
Video: Guerini's 1999 stage win
Video: Thrills and spills at the Tour
Video: Armstrong in 1999
Video: The Indurain years
Video: Ladies of the Tour
Video: Best of bizarre
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Tour de France 2011: TV schedule
British Eurosport Tour de France 2011 TV schedule
ITV4 Tour de France 2011 TV schedule
Tour de France 2011: Related links
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