Tour de France 2016: Mark Cavendish seals stage 14 victory to take overall tally to 30

Mark Cavendish claimed his fourth stage win of the 2016 Tour de France and 30th of his career with victory on stage 14 in the Parc des Oiseaux in Villars-les-Dombes.

The Team Dimension Data sprinter came around the wheel of Marcel Kittel in the final straight and took victory ahead of Norwegian Alexander Kristoff of Katusha and Tinkoff's world champion Peter Sagan in third.

There was a brief wait for confirmation of the result after Kittel complained the Manxman had cut across him, but the commissaires rules in Cavendish's favour.

The 208.5km stage from Montelimar had finished with a three kilometre straight directly into the headwind, and Cavendish bided his time as he lurked behind the big frame of Kittel.

But when the German lit it up, Cavendish burst off his wheel and blew by him with apparent ease before holding off those coming up behind.

It was the sixth stage win for a British rider in this year's Tour. Cavendish is responsible for four while his team-mate Steve Cummings won stage seven and Team Sky's Chris Froome - who finished safely in the pack to retain the yellow jersey - took stage eight.

Cavendish enjoyed his best ever first week of a Tour de France with victories on stages one, four and six, and the Dimension Data rider proved he still has strong form after coming through the first mountain tests.

Last week Cavendish moved past Bernard Hinault in second on the all-time list of Tour stage winners and this latest success leaves him four behind the record of five-time Tour winner Eddy Merckx.

There has been speculation throughout the Tour that the Manxman would at some point withdraw to focus on preparations for racing on the track at the Rio Olympics, but with his form so strong he will also have an eye on a fifth career victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Kittel, having made his move first, ended up fifth and behind fellow German John Degenkolb as he waved an arm in frustration.

As France began three days of national mourning, there was a minute's silence prior to the start of the stage in Montelimar to honour the victims of Thursday's terrorist attack in Nice.

The start time had been brought forward due to the strong headwinds blowing from the north and when they did start moving, the pace was understandably slow.

It took time for the break to get away, but Jeremy Roy (FDJ), Alex Howes (Cannondale), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18) and Martin Elmiger (IAM Cycling) eventually got away.

They built a lead which maxed out at four and half minutes but though Roy and Elmiger fought hard to stay clear in the wind, they shook hands and were mopped up with three kilometres to go as the sprint trains took over.

Ahead of Sunday's mountainous 160km stage from Bourg-en-Bresse to Culoz, Froome leads by one minute and 47 seconds from Trek-Segafredo's Bauke Mollema.

Briton Adam Yates of Orica-BikeExchange remains third, two minutes and 45 seconds down with Nario Quintana of Movistar fourth, two minutes and 59 seconds back.

PA