Manx bicycle owner Mark Cavendish made historical past on the Tour De France along with his thirty fifth stage victory, breaking a 34-win report held by Eddy Merckx, who set it from 1969-1975. Cavendish pulled away within the fifth stage of the tour round 100 meters away from the end line, passing Jasper Phillipsen for a brand new chapter within the race’s historical past books. He completed with a time of 4 hours, 8 minutes and 46 seconds — as did everybody else who completed within the top-ten.
Cavendish had tied Merckx’s report within the 2021 Tour de France and had a chance to surpass it final yr. Nevertheless, his 2023 season was minimize quick by a collision with Phillipsen that resulted in a damaged proper collarbone. Cavendish had pushed again his retirement following the premature finish to his 2023 season, and his want for an additional stage win propelled him again to the Tour de France.
Instantly after the race, Cavendish instructed ITV, “I am in just a little little bit of disbelief. I put an enormous gamble on this yr to ensure we’re good right here on the Tour de France…We gambled coming right here, attempting to win not less than one stage. That is an enormous gamble for my boss, Alex Vinokourov, [and] the crew to do…to go all-in, and we have accomplished it.”
“It is how the Tour de France is,” he added. “You go as arduous as you possibly can til you get to the end line, and possibly your life adjustments for those who cross that line first. If it does not, you do not. That is the character of this race and what makes it so stunning.”
Cavendish gained his first Tour De France in 2008, claiming the fifth, eighth, twelfth and thirteenth levels. He is continued to show excellence all through his profession and battled via diseases this yr to compete within the Presidential Biking Tour of Turkey in April, the place he gained the second leg, and the Tour of Hungary in Might, the place he took a dash win in stage 2.
Cavendish’s sports activities director, retired bicycle owner Mark Renshaw, in contrast Cavendish to a “high-quality wine” upon his victory.
“He simply will get higher and higher,” Renshaw mentioned. “I feel the crew had a lot confidence in him. They’ve had confidence all yr. We have signed nice riders, we have modified the crew to take care of him, to get him attainable to win, and he is simply been mega-committed. I do not know what number of days he is been along with his household, however this yr, it isn’t many, and that is the type of dedication you want as a motorbike rider.”
At 39 years previous and having raced professionally since 2005, many anticipated the Tour de France to be Cavendish’s final. If that’s the case, he can exit understanding he etched his identify to the celebrated tour’s report books and capped off an illustrious profession the one approach he knew how: on prime.