Phil Wrochna is managing editor of firstoffthebike.com and a commentator on SEN 1116.

Bordeaux is a sprinter's paradise. Always has been and always will be. It is a nice reward for the sprinters who have been out the back of the peloton each day in the mountains. the sprinters are not climbers and must use their cunning and maths skills to keep themselves in the race each day. Riders know they must finish within a percentage of the winners time and they are always busy with the internal abacus going flat out calculating what they need to do to avoid being taken out of the race.

After the battles of the Pyrenees, the bunch was no doubt happy to be back on flat ground. The gradient of Stage 18 resembled a pancake with the biggest undulation a speed hump just before the start. The bunch spent the day rolling through some beautiful wine country before Team HTC's Mark Cavendish turned on the afterburners and wiped the rest of the sprinters for win number (yawn) 14.

Having achieved this milestone in just three seasons on the Tour is impressive enough.

But he Cavendish has been sick of late and was uncertain if he was going to finish. "I have been sick the last few days with bronchitis. I had a fever last night and didn't know if I would even start today," Cavendish said. "But I wanted to do it for the team."

Who's Hot

Mark Cavendish - The full swagger is back. The Manx Missile is up and about and ticking off the stage wins again. He will ride the time trial tonight and then line up for the big smashfest on the Champs Elysées on Sunday. He would have to fall off his bike to lose that stage but on the Champs Elysées weird things can happen so victory, while expected, is never assured.

Alessandro Petacchi - He has his own problems right now as he is under investigation for irregular practices but Petacchi is back in the green jersey after another good finish.

Who's Not

Andy Schleck spent time with the race doctor for saddle sores of all things. Now don't laugh here. These are a real problem and may explain why Schleck has been out of the saddle so much these last few stages.

Thor Hushovd - Screwed the sprint up monumentally last night and in doing so he lost the green jersey to Petacchi. When he gets over kicking his own butt he will need a big day on the Champs Elysées to get it back.

The road ahead

The race of truth. The last ditch effort by all the big riders to take time. Schleck will have to be biblically inspired to beat Contador.

Results after Stage 18

1   Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia   4:37:09

2 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin - Transitions

3 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini

4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha

5 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank

6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Professional Cycling Team

7 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto

8 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne

9 Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini

10 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi

General Classification (Yellow Jersey)

1   Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana   88:09:48

2 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:08

3 Samuel Sánchez Gonzalez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:03:32

4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0:03:53

5 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:05:27

6 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0:06:41

7 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha 0:07:03

8 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin - Transitions 0:09:18

9 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas-Doimo 0:10:12

10 Christopher Horner (USA) Team Radioshack 0:10:37

11 Luis León Sánchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:12:46

12 Ruben Plaza Molina (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:13:01

13 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team Radioshack 0:14:24

14 Andreas Klöden (Ger) Team Radioshack 0:14:44

15 Nicolas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0:16:00

16 Alexander Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana 0:17:57

17 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:17:59

18 Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:18:30

19 Kevin De Weert (Bel) Quick Step 0:20:03

20 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:25:23

23   Lance Armstrong (USA) Team Radioshack   0:37:58

24 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:41:34

26   Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team   0:45:13

Points Classification

1   Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini   213   pts

2 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo Test Team 203

3 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team HTC - Columbia 197

4 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 167

5 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha 162

Mountains Classification

1   Anthony Charteau (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom   143   pts

2 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne 128

3 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank 116

4 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Astana 112

5 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 99