NIMES, France (Reuters) - Mark Cavendish will have the opportunity to join Belgian Freddy Maertens in the Tour de France record books at the end of the 14th stage, a 194.5-km journey from Nimes to Dignes les Bains on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Team Columbia rider was not born in 1981 when Maertens sprinted to five stage wins on the Tour.

Cavendish remains unbeaten this year on the Tour in mass sprints, winning his fourth stage on Friday.

Despite Saturday's two fourth-category climbs that will take the peloton to the foot of the Alps, the day could well end in another sprinters' battle.

"I have a fantastic team that helps me a lot in the last kilometre," said Cavendish, who benefits from the help of another top sprinter in his team, German Gerald Ciolek.

The race organisers will once again hope for a scandal-free day after three riders tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO in the past week.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot, Editing by Clare Fallon)