The Tour de France can be a bit of an uphill battle at times.

It got the better of Mark Cavendish yesterday, with the Manxman forced to abort his attempt to claim a 25th career Tour-stage win as the effects of an earlier crash became overwhelming in the final, bunch sprint. Instead it was Daryl Impey who passed a milestone – becoming the first African to claim the yellow jersey after a 13th-place finish put him ahead of the field.

It was not the result Cavendish had envisaged following his first win of this year's Tour in Marseille on Wednesday. His day began with an unwelcome call from the anti-doping unit at 6.30am and he could expect another interrupted night's sleep as a result of injuries to his back and shoulder following his spill. The rider was in no mood to talk after he completed the route and Patrick Lefevere, the Omega Pharma-Quick Step general manager, commented that the Manxman had been left understandably upset.

"One day it's all okay, the next day it's all going wrong," said Lefevere. "Mark crashed at the wrong moment because he had to chase back. Peter [Velits] brought him back to the front but the team was working very hard the whole day and I think the stress of the whole day, it kills you.

"The team were early on the front and maybe a little bit too early. But afterwards it's always easy. If you win everybody's happy. If you lose everyone looks for why you didn't win."

Although Cavendish did not go public with his disappointment, his frustrated was apparent from outside the team bus. "He was angry. It's normal," added Lefevere.

Further questions were then directed at Rolf Aldag, the team's sport and development manager, as to the extent of Cavendish's injuries. "I think the biggest injury is the disappointment at not winning the stage," he said.

His mood will not have been improved with the realisation that Greipel's victory has put the German second ahead of Cavendish in the points race. Peter Sagan still leads with 159 points to Greipel's 130 and Cavendish's 119.

There was at least some news that seemed heartwarming at the close of the stage, though, with Impey leading Team Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen by three seconds in the general classification, with Gerrans now third. Chris Froome remains in seventh. "This is a big day for African cycling," said Impey. "[The yellow jersey] has been in my reach."