The Ettix Quick-Step rider took the win in a photo finish with French rider Bryan Coquard.
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Cavendish, looking for a 29th Tour career stage win, was boxed in when the sprint started and could only finish eighth, surrendering the lead to Sagan in the points classification.
Slovak Peter Sagan retained the overall lead with a third-placed finish, while Britain’s Chris Froome came in safely in the peloton.
In this episode of The Telegraph Cycling Podcast, Richard Moore and Lionel Birnie analyse Kittel’s return to winning ways at the Tour after missing last year’s race with illness and injury. When I crossed the line, I kind of knew I got it today, Cavendish said.
Sagan hinted that the riders were in favour of shorter stages during Grand Tours.
With Peter Sagan holding the yellow jersey after four stages of the Tour de France, Oleg Tinkov is exactly where he likes to be, at the center of attention.
Kittel, who returned to the Tour with a new team after injuries and illness ruled him out a year ago, began his final surge for the line a little too early for comfort.
“I don’t know if you can explain emotions, they just come out”, he said of the moment he realised he’d won the stage in a photo-finish with Frenchman Bryan Coquard. Last years tour victor Chris Froome even predicted Valverde to be in yellow after the stage.
“I’m very happy”, the Slovakian said.
The Direct Energie rider sped through on the outside in the closing metres of Tuesday’s stage only to be denied the win by millimetres by the front wheel of Marcel Kittel.
“I think I belong with the greats now”, Coquard said.
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, who started the final sprint, was second in the 183-kilometer stage between Saint-Lo and Cherbourg-en-Cotentin in Normandy, with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde in third place. “I imagine those guys are going to be the favorites for tomorrow”.
The stage, which finished in Limoges after a 237 kilometre ride from Saumer on Wednesday morning, saw Renshaw finish 126, a minute and 14 seconds behind Kittel.
“It’s going to be a tough one to juggle really and it may mean him going home [from the Tour]”.
Following yesterday’s leisurely pace, the peloton appeared far more willing to increase the tempo on the longest route of this year’s race, which took them 232 kilometres from the start point in Saumur.
He’s not in the peloton early on though with Oliver Naesen, Alexis Gougeard, Markel Irizar and Andreas Schillinger all breaking away after the 55.5 milometer mark.
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Kittel has not looked back since joining the Etixx-Quickstep squad this year, posting a string of victories including two stages and a stint in the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia.
