Tour de France legend Sean Kelly has backed Mark Cavendish to continue to accumulate stage victories in the fabled green jersey.

Cavendish on Monday won his second successive stage - his sixth Tour victory in two years - to retain the green jersey worn by the points classification leader.

It was the 24-year-old from the Isle of Man's 43rd professional victory and 15th of the season - just his third among cycling's elite.

The feat was lauded by Kelly, who won the Tour de France's green jersey four times between 1982 and 1989.

"How can you beat him? I don't see any way they can do it," Kelly said.

"Just to win one stage is magnificent in the Tour de France, but to win two stages in sprints, he just seems to win them so easily.

"He's super fast when he gets into the final 200metres.

"It's a great situation, it must be a great feeling and very demoralising for the other riders."

Swiss Fabian Cancellara (Team Saxo Bank), the winner of last Saturday's prologue in Monaco, retains the yellow jersey but Cavendish has now won two of the first three stages ahead of Tuesday's team time-trial in Montpellier.

On each occasion Cavendish - aiming to reach Paris for this first time in his third Tour start - has had a perfect lead out from his Team Columbia-HTC colleagues, teeing him up for the dash to the line.

"It's an ideal situation when it comes to the sprints," added Kelly, who is commentating on the race for British Eurosport.

Breakaways have taken place early on in each of the last two stages and it has been Cavendish's squad who have led the pursuit in a bid for a bunch finish.

Kelly does not believe this will have had adverse effect on the Manxman, who is able to shelter in his team-mates' slipstream, with 18 days of racing remaining.

"I would certainly not be concerned that he's using too much energy in those flat stages," said the Irishman.

Kelly also labeled Bradley Wiggins' Garmin-Slipstream squad "the big losers" after three stages of the 2009 edition of cycling's most prestigious race.

Wiggins, who is targeting a top-20 finish in Paris when the race concludes on July 26, conceded 41 seconds to Cancellara today after his Garmin-Slipstream team missed a late split in the peloton.

The multiple Olympic gold medalist now lies one minute behind the Swiss Olympic time-trial champion.

"Unfortunately for Brad Wiggins, he missed that boat today," said Kelly.

"They (Garmin) should be able to stay up there and keep him up there.

"They're the big losers today, because the position he was in coming into the stage, there was a great possibility of going into the yellow jersey if they put in a good performance in the team time-trial.

"Today's performance was a little bit disappointing from Garmin. For me, they might not be in the best shape (ahead of tomorrow's team time-trial)."

Kelly, however, is impressed with the return of record seven-time champion Lance Armstrong (Astana), who has moved up to third in the overall classification.

He said: "I think he's throwing in a very good performance.

"His time-trial in Monaco was a good performance and he's done a magnificent job today to be in that leading group."