AS Alberto Contador celebrates a third Tour de France title and Lance Armstrong enters retirement for a second – and probably final – time, British riders will reflect on a race which stopped short of fulfilling expectations.

The Tour began on July 3 with Bradley Wiggins seeking a podium place and Mark Cavendish the points classification’s green jersey.

However, following 3,642 kilometres in 21 racing days from Rotterdam to Paris, Wiggins finished 24th after struggling in the high mountains where the race is won and Cavendish fell 12 points short of the green jersey.

After crashing in the opening road stage to Brussels and fading to 12th place on stage four to Reims, Cavendish bounced back with five stage wins – stages five, six, 11, 18 and 20 – to take his tally to a remarkable 15 in three Tours.

The 25-year-old HTC-Columbia sprinter proved again on Sunday by winning on the Champs Elysees for a second successive year that he is back to his emphatic best.

But still he missed out on the green jersey as Alessandro Petacchi, who won the two stages in which Cavendish faltered, won by 11 points.

Twelve months previously, Cavendish lost out to Thor Hushovd by ten points, despite winning six stages.

Hushovd again accumulated points at intermediate sprints by making breakaways and staying in contention in the mountains, while Cavendish floundered at the back of the peloton, merely trying to complete stages within the time limit.

Asked whether he thought the points classification system needed an overhaul to award the fastest, rather than most consistent, sprinter, Cavendish insisted his only role is to win stages.

‘‘My job as a sprinter is to win,’’ he said. ‘‘If that’s how I win the green jersey, that’s how I win the green jersey.

‘‘I’m a different type of rider to Thor Hushovd.

“My style to win the green jersey is to win stages.

‘‘If the green jersey comes it comes. If it doesn’t it doesn’t.’’ After missing out on his first target for the 2010 season, Cavendish will now look to his second – the International Cycling Union Road World Championships in Australia.

The Isle of Man rider will use the year’s third grand tour, the Vuelta a Espana, as preparation for the Melbourne race, which takes place over a flat course – suited to sprinters – on October 3.

He will be seeking to become the second Briton after Tom Simpson in 1965 to win the world champion’s white jersey with rainbow band.

Cavendish is under contract with HTC-Columbia for the 2011 season, but speculation over a move to Team Sky is likely to be rife.