Mark Cavendish took stage thirteen of the 100th Tour De France in Saint-Amand-Montrond
A 173km stage from yesterday's finish at Tours to Saint-Amand-Montrond was install for the riders who set off at 1.25pm local time.
Six riders in Yohann Gene of Europcar, Euskatel's Ruben Perez Moreno, Cofidis' Luis Maté, Lampre's Przemyslaw Niemiec, Vacansoleil's - Kris Boeckmans, who had his points docked from yesterday's intermediate sprint and Sojasun's Cyril Lemoine were on the attack straight away and building a lead of 3.02 after 33kms.
Having brought up his team car to fix a problem with his right shoe, Mark Cavendish got back into the peloton which fragmented into a number of groups due to the wind.
Race leader Chris Froome was in the front group whilst three stage winner Marcel Kittel was in a group 22 seconds further back on D11 heading towards the Category Four climb at Cote de Crotz.
The Froome group brought the gap to the front six to twelve seconds with 97kms remaining.
With the escapers reeled back in, King Of The Mountains leader Pierre Rolland of Europcar was allowed to take the solitary point on the Cote de Crotz.
The day's intermediate sprint came at Saint Aoustrille with 60kms remaining and saw Andrei Greipel take the twenty points ahead of Mark Cavendish and Green Jersey wearing Peter Sagan.
Rolland dropped out of the front group due to a puncture who were 1.05 ahead of the group containing Marcel Kittel.
The Argos Shimano's group dropped back to 2.45 with 30kms to go as Saxo Tinkoff, Omega Pharma Quick Step, Belkin and Cannondale sent riders off the front in a bid to try and get some time off Chris Froome.
This group featured Mark Cavendish, Nicholas Roche, Peter Sagan, Alberto Contador as well as the likes of Bodnar, Fuglsang, Bennati, Kreuziger, Rogers, Chavanel, Tepstra, Mollema and Ten Dam. and into the final twenty kilometres, they were 30 seconds clear.
Five kilometres later and the gap was forty seconds, as Froome looked isolated in the chasing group.
With ten to go, Nicholas Roche was on the front whilst Valverde was seven minutes down and Tommy Voeckler's group were eleven minutes down.
Omega Pharma Quick Step, who were given the Combativity award, an award which normally goes to a rider, continued to press on, pushing more time into Froome.
With 1400m to go, Nicky Terpstra went off the front as they went down a double left hander and a roundabout before the finish on the rue Paletier.
Cavendish went and he picked his moment to take the win in a time of 3.40.08 in front of Sagan and Mollema.
Chris Froome keeps his yellow jersey but lost 1.10 to Contador.
.
.