Mark Cavendish attempts to put frustration behind him

Mark Cavendish was trying today to put his season and his Tour de France back on track.

The 25-year-old from the Isle of Man went into the fifth road stage, the 116 miles from Epernay to Montargis, still hurting from yesterday's performance.

The HTC-Columbia sprinter was surprisingly overtaken with the finish line at his mercy in Reims.

The 95-mile stage from Cambrai was always destined to end in a bunch sprint, a moment where Cavendish usually thrives.

But he was unable to add to his 10 Tour wins in two seasons as Alessandro Petacchi triumphed, with Julian Dean second and Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen third.

Cavendish's frustration at failing to finish off a leadout branded "perfect" by his mentor Erik Zabel was visible.

"I'm disappointed," said Cavendish, who finished 12th. "I feel really sorry for my team-mates who rode unbelievably and I just didn't finish it off at the end."

Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara retained the overall lead.