Mark Cavendish broke the British record for Tour de France stage victories Friday, but the prize he really wants awaits tomorrow.

The Manxman confirmed his status as the world's best sprinter with his fifth stage win of this year's race to make it nine in two years - one more than Barry Hoban, who claimed his eighth win in 1975.

Cavendish again held off rival Thor Hushovd but the Norwegian looks certain to keep the green jersey until Paris as he takes a lead of 25 points into the final two days.

The 24-year-old had hoped to complete his first Tour de France in green but that disappointment would be tempered significantly were he to win the showpiece final stage.

Yesterday's 178-kilometre leg from Bourgoin-Jallieu to Aubenas looked like an outside chance for Cavendish, who was predicted to find the category two climb in the closing stages tough.

But his Colombia-HTC team-mates shepherded him over that in contention and then gave him the platform to attack 300 metres out.

And it was his team that were first in Cavendish's thoughts as he reflected on a record-breaking triumph.

"I'm really, really happy," he said. "It was a beautiful, beautiful win. We really didn't have this stage put down as one that would end in a bunch sprint, but we came through all the same.

"At the team meeting I told the guys that if we got to the climb all together and I could hang on, then I would do my absolute best to win.

"Half the team supported me all the way to the climb and half the team were there with me on the descent that followed and through to the finish.

"They were amazing, particularly if you consider that Saturday's a really hard mountain stage. Tony Martin led me out perfectly, even though it was a very tough uphill finish, but I did it."

German Gerald Ciolek (Milram) finished in third, while Astana rider Alberto Contador retained the race leader's yellow jersey, four minutes 11 seconds ahead of Luxembourg's Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank), with seven-time winner Lance Armstrong (Astana) third.

Although all the main contenders finished in the peloton, the American boosted his chances of finishing on the podium in Paris by taking advantage of a slight split to gain four seconds on his rivals.

That means Armstrong will go into tomorrow's make-or-break climb of Mont Ventoux 15 seconds ahead of Britain's Bradley Wiggins in fourth.

Contador has proved himself the best climber in the field but he is expecting an attack from Luxembourg's Frank Schleck, who dropped from third to sixth after Thursday's time trial.

Ahead of the 167km stage from Montelimar, the Spaniard said: "I think that Frank is going to attack because this is his last chance to show that he's strong enough to get to the podium and I think it's going to be some kind of a war between us, but it's not going to be easy to change the places on the podium.

"I'm sure that I'm going to suffer because it's a really long stage and it's going to be complicated. I will only be able to enjoy this race once I get to Paris."