Cavendish says Manx support in France is 'incredible'

Cav speaks to 3FM about getting points docked, Manx support and if he\'s going to keep hold of the Green Jersey.

The Isle of Man's Mark Cavendish is preparing for another tough day at the Tour de France.

The Manx missile survived being eliminated yesterday but was still docked 20 points for finishing outside the time limit.

He told 3FM; 'Normally if there's just a few of the guys outside the time limit you go home, simple, but yesterday more than half the race didn't finnish in time. It's usually around 12% of the winners time, yesterday it was 9%.'

'Having points taken away puts me on the back foot but i'm still in green, that's the main thing. It's going to come down to the Champs Elysee for the Green Jersey now. It's going to be another savage stage today but then the race is on.'

Nobody has ever won the Champs Elysee three times in their career. Cav, having won it the past two years, is going to try and break that record on Sunday and bring the Green Jersey back to the Island.

He's already the 7th most successful stage winner of all time, with 19 stage wins in his short racing career.

Cav said this year the support from the Manx is 'incredible' and has really pushed him in his pursuit for the Green Jersey.

He said, 'It was great to meet the Ramsey Grammer School students and there are loads of Manx flags in France as well as people in 'supermanx' t-shirts with Cavendish masks supporting me. It's brilliant to see and helps so much.'

'It has been a hard three weeks but when you know you have got people behind you it makes it all worth while.'