Manx cyclist Mark Cavendish crashed towards the end of the final stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico race in Italy.

He looked to be in contention for a bunch sprint with less than 10 kilometres left when he hit a pavement hard.

After initial concern that Cav was injured, he got up and finished the race.

It's been a miserable start to the 2010 season for Cavendish with dental problems disrupting his training and race schedule.

On the plus side, the seven stage race will have given him some valuable time on his bike in competitive action but he finished the Tirreno-Adriatico in last place in the final classification.

On Saturday, he defends his title at the one-day classic Milan San Remo.