* First stage win for Africa's MTN-QHUBEKA team * Briton snatches surprise victory with storming finish (Writes through) By Julien Pretot MENDE, France, July 18 (Reuters) - British journeyman Stephen Cummings earned South African team MTN-Qhubeka a landmark victory on Mandela Day when he spoiled a French party to take a surprise win in the 14th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday. Cummings beat Thibaut Pinot into second and Romain Bardet into third, powering past the two Frenchmen inside the final kilometres while both were marking each other thinking the race was between the two of them. Cummings, riding for the first African team on the Tour de France, even had time to raise his arms in celebration after staying within distance of the French rivals in the final climb, a 3-km ascent at an average gradient of 10.1 per cent. Briton Chris Froome retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after holding off his rivals and event gaining further ground at the end of the 198.5-km ride from Rodez. More...