Mark Cavendish dedicated his victory on stage seven of the Tour De France to team mate Tony Martin who has undergone surgery for a fractured collarbone after crashing out on stage six.
Cavendish told LeTour.com: "In the last two sprints, my team had done good. But I was too anxious and I went too early. One hesitation is enough for one or two riders to pass and the sprint to over.
"It was about kind of not being impatient anymore but I almost left it too long. I had seen that Alexander Kristoff had two lead out men. Normally he goes early. I waited for him to go and I was almost too late. I had to avoid Guarnieri and I almost panicked. If André Greipel had pushed me towards the barriers, I would have lost but he's a gentleman. He sprinted straight. I had the same power the other days but it was a question of timing to make it a victory this time.
"What happened to Tony Martin is a very sad way to lose the yellow jersey. Losing him is a big loss for us. On and off the bike, he's a great guy. It's like we started the Tour de France with twelve guys and we're left with eight. I'm glad Tony's operation went well. I wanted to win for him today. I would have loved him to be here to celebrate with us. I dedicate the victory to him.
"Every of my twenty six wins are special. One stage victory make a rider's career, so to come here and win every year is great. It's been a while since I last won: two years. It's nice to come back as a winner in the presence of my wife and my daughter.
"I don't know how many other opportunities there'll be for a bunch sprint before Paris. Maybe in Valence, maybe in Rodez but the finish seems to be hard and it'll be against Peter Sagan who will probably win the green jersey again this year.
"I'd like to stay with Etixx-Quick Step next year. I've grown up with this team. Belgians love cycling. I do too. It's great to share the passion with people who feel the same."