Mark Cavendish lastly did it – he broke Eddy Merckx’s Tour de France stage victory file by successful his thirty fifth stage. It was a file that stood for 48 years.
Not solely is Cavendish’s file exceptional for the comparability with a legend like Merckx, however it additionally cements the Manx Missile as the perfect sprinter within the historical past of biking, and probably the perfect there ever shall be.
Of Merckx’s 34 stage wins 16 got here in time trials – he gained three prologue time trials and 13 particular person time trials, and 18 mass begin phases on the Tour de France. Of the latter, solely two phases could possibly be thought of bunch sprints – the ultimate stage of the 1974 Tour de France and stage 7 that very same yr from a gaggle of 55 riders.
All of Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France stage wins have are available in bunch sprints, and his victory on stage 5 at this yr’s version was a masterclass in utilizing psychological readability, expertise, fast and good determination making and sharp elbows to defeat his quicker rivals.
Wednesday, July 3, 2024, will go down in historical past because the day Cavendish lastly broke the Merckx Tour de France file within the nondescript village of Saint-Vulbas within the Ain division. Cyclingnews breaks down precisely how Cavendish earned his thirty fifth Tour de France stage win.
6km to go
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Astana Qazaqstan had been affected person within the last 10 kilometres, ready to return to the entrance till 6.2km to go after Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Crew Emirates received the peloton by a roundabout. Two of the Astana riders got here to the fore however Cavendish was a bit additional again. After they noticed he wasn’t there, they pulled off the entrance to seek out their technique to him, permitting Visma to take the lead once more.
4km to go
The washer was in full impact as riders dodged site visitors furnishings. Astana let Lotto Dstny, Bahrain Victorious and Intermarché-Wanty struggle it out for the entrance, retaining Cavendish simply behind.
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2km to go
Lotto Dstny are within the lead for Arnaud De Lie on the left facet of the highway whereas Alpecin-Deceuninck start to make a giant surge. Cofidis and sprinter Bryan Coquard get pinched out of competition as Philipsen’s workforce shut from the proper to take over from Lotto Dstny.
Cavendish stays calm, seeing Philipsen to his proper and Belgian champion De Lie up forward on the left. He stays on his personal workforce’s wheels, ignoring Crew DSM-Firmenich-PostNL and Arkéa-B&B Resorts on the far proper facet of the highway.
1km to go
Cavendish’s workforce pulls him forward of De Lie and Philipsen, wanting round for Michael Mørkøv, however he is been washed away and is caught behind De Lie. Mørkøv makes a transfer to attempt to get round De Lie however runs into Mathieu van der Poel and may’t make it, Bahrain’s Phil Bauhaus is in the best way and he cannot get to Cavendish to be the ultimate man. Cavendish goes to must freelance this one.
DSM, Arkéa and Israel-Premier Tech shut in from the proper and begin to pinch Astana, placing Mørkøv fully out of the image. Astana are boxed in alongside the left facet boundaries, having to coast behind inexperienced jersey holder Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X).
Then, Alpecin’s man pulls off to the proper, lastly opening up the highway in order that Van der Poel can come ahead with Philipsen. On the similar second, Abrahamsen seems to be round for Alexander Kristoff.
Cavendish will get separated from his workforce however slots in behind Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech). A quick coming collectively between Ackermann and Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Resorts) proper in entrance of Cavendish may simply have brought about a crash – fortunately they bounced off one another.
700m – 600m to go
After Ackermann and Démare’s conflict, Cavendish slots barely to the proper and finds Philipsen’s wheel however Bauhaus tries to struggle him for it, however isn’t any match. Cavendish will get his bars in entrance and Bauhaus, who has Fernando Gaviria to his proper, has a option to make – struggle Cav for the wheel and crash or surrender. He makes the proper alternative.
400m to go
Van der Poel begins his lead-out with Philipsen and Cavendish on his wheel, who has Démare making an attempt to crowd him on the left. Cavendish appears hopelessly boxed in however a magic second occurs when Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek) begins his last surge for Mads Pedersen.
DSM’s last man sees Jakobsen is nowhere and sits up, opening up a gap within the center to Cavendish’s left. Cavendish sees the acceleration and leaves Philipsen’s wheel, getting a clear two-bike-length piece of highway to choose up pace.
“I simply adopted. I noticed Alpecin come. I knew they’d numbers so I went with them. Ackermann was there however you’ll be able to’t actually predict which was Ackermann goes so that you type of have to attend for him to leap and them come up. In order that’s what I did,” Cavendish mentioned afterward.
300m to go
Gibbons will get the lead with Ackermann on his wheel, and Cav slots in behind the German, getting that final lead-out that Mørkøv would usually present. The pace will get him previous Philipsen, who briefly tries to seize Ackermann’s wheel however meets with Cavendish’s sharp elbow.
Gibbons fades, Philipsen is boxed in alongside the boundaries and may’t get out, and Cavendish is completely poised on Ackermann’s wheel with the end line coming quick.
150m to go
Cavendish dives to the left previous Ackermann and opens up the jets. Philipsen will get out to the center of the highway and latches onto Cavendish’s wheel however it’s too late.
Cav has the open highway and the end line in sight and behind, chaos ensues as Pedersen hits the boundaries and goes down, with a Cofidis rider bunny-hopping him however no person is paying consideration as a result of historical past is about to be made.
0km to go
Mark Cavendish celebrates as he lastly breaks the Merckx file and inks his title into the Tour de France historical past books because the rider to win essentially the most phases in historical past, beating Philipsen and Kristoff.
