Paris, France (GenevaLunch) – Mark Cavendish, from the Isle of Man, won his sixth sprint finish in the 2009 Tour de France. It was the most prestigious but in some ways also the easiest as his Columbia teammates, especially Australian Mark Renshaw, gave him a big lead into the final 100 metres.
The final day was a traditional affair, at a leisurely pace for much of the stage before a break by seven riders in search of glory.
Central France (GenevaLunch) – Isle of Man sprinter Mark Cavendish took his fourth stage win for the Columbia team and regained the sprinters’ Green Jersey. The overall lead was unchanged with Italian Rinaldo Nocentini reaining the Yellow Jersey, six seconds ahead of Astana leader Alberto Contador with teammate and rival Lance Armstrong two seconds further back. The Yellow Jersey is likely to change owner in the next few days.
Details, Le Tour de France
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) released their last known foreign hostage, Erik Roland Larsson, Tuesday 17 March after nearly two years of captivity. Larsson, 69, appears to have suffered a stroke during the time he spent captive and is being evaluated by doctors in the city of Monteria. Farc sought $5 million for his release, but it is not known if the ransom was paid. Al Jazeera
