Sprinters step aside

Mark Cavendish and his sprint adversaries will likely step to one side on Tuesday, with the Tour de France fourth stage set to shake up the race for the yellow jersey.

Tuesday's 172.5-kilometre route from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne finishes with a category three, 2km climb which could see the yellow jersey change hands once more.

Thor Hushovd successfully defended the maillot jaune on Monday while leading Garmin-Cervelo team-mate Tyler Farrar to victory on the 198km third stage from Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon. Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil) was second and Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) third, with Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) fifth, although he was later disqualified.

The Briton will have further opportunities this week and on Friday returns to the scene of his first Tour stage success in 2008 in Chateauroux.

Cavendish complained of being impeded by Feillu on the final corner on Tuesday and later suggested the reasons for his disqualification were "personal" - something which could yet land him in trouble.

The 26-year-old from the Isle of Man, who has 15 Tour stage successes to his credit, wrote on Twitter: "Saw other riders in final (run-in) of today on TV and believe decisions are personal."

Cavendish added: "I was fighting with Rojas into the last corner and kamikaze Feillu came flying in. I thought I was going to crash, I thought I was coming down."

Cavendish, who has been linked with a move to Team Sky in 2012, at the end of his HTC-Highroad contract, had further reason for frustration.

The Manxman was awarded 22 points for finishing fifth, but his hopes of claiming a first points classification green jersey were hit when he was disqualified and fined 200 Swiss Francs for his clash with Hushovd at the day's intermediate sprint.

After three stages, Cavendish lies ninth in the points classification, 38 points behind leader Rojas.