Tour de France: 'That was so hard' - Mark Cavendish plays down sickness fears after Stage 1 struggles

Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) admitted the opening stage of the Tour de France was "so hard" after beating the time cut, but he played down concerns about his health. The 39-year-old was dropped on the opening climb of the race as he struggled in the intense heat, while TV pictures of him being sick and team-mates dowsing him in water did little to inspire optimism. Cavendish and his team-mates rallied to complete the stage, coming home some 39 minutes behind …