Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team put total commitment into ensuring the 218km Stage 12 of the Tour de France — a rather flat stage — came down to the predicted bunch finale on Thursday, and they were able to put three riders in front of Mark Cavendish with 1.5km to go.
Matteo Trentin and Gert Steegmans put Cavendish into position in the final kilometer, with Steegmans being his last man on the right side. However, Argos-Shimano rider Marcel Kittel came on so strong in the final meters on the left side that he was able to pip Cavendish at the line for the stage victory. Peter Sagan (Cannondale) was 3rd.
OPQS looks next to a 173km Stage 13 on Friday. It is another flat stage, with only one categorized climb midway through the course.
"You can sit there and analyze it, but when there is someone simply faster than you there is nothing you can do," Cavendish said. "I don't think me, or the team, could have done anything differently. He was just simply better today. I Tweeted the other day I think he's the next big thing. I spoke with him today actually. I think he's the next superstar in sprinting and he showed it today. He's won three stages now and that's not easy. I can tell you that from experience."
"My team did incredible today," Cavendish said. "We analyzed the finish beforehand. In the last days I think we've been a little to eager, you know, which is kind of a good thing because it means you've got the commitment from everybody. But ultimately we always ran out of guys. So today we talked about staying calm and staying patient and going at the last moment. The guys were a lot more comfortable and it made my job a lot easier. I'm just really disappointed I couldn't finish it off for them."