TOURS - Mark Cavendish had hoped the second week of the Tour de France might see him climb back into contention for the green jersey, but instead it is proving to be a week to forget. The sprint star was blamed by other riders — but not by race officials — for a crash that brought down Dutchman Tom Veelers in Saint-Malo on Tuesday and then had urine thrown at him by a spectator during Wednesday’s time-trial to Mont-Saint-Michel. Fast forward to Thursday, and there was more bad publicity for Cavendish when organisers of the Boxmeer Criterium in the Netherlands said that he would not be welcome at their race on July 22. He then saw his hopes of recording a second stage win on this year’s Tour thwarted when he was pipped in a sprint finish in Tours by rising German star Marcel Kittel. –AFP