Mark Cavendish lastly did it – he broke Eddy Merckx’s Tour de France stage victory report by successful his thirty fifth stage. It was a report that stood for 48 years.
Not solely is Cavendish’s report outstanding for the comparability with a legend like Merckx, however it additionally cements the Manx Missile as the very best sprinter within the historical past of biking, and probably the very best there ever will likely 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 levels on the Tour de France. Of the latter, solely two levels could possibly be thought-about bunch sprints – the ultimate stage of the 1974 Tour de France and stage 7 that very same 12 months 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 12 months’s version was a masterclass in utilizing psychological readability, expertise, fast and good resolution 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 report 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 remaining 10 kilometres, ready to return to the entrance till 6.2km to go after Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Workforce Emirates bought the peloton via a roundabout. Two of the Astana riders got here to the fore however Cavendish was a bit additional again. Once they noticed he wasn’t there, they pulled off the entrance to search 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 visitors furnishings. Astana let Lotto Dstny, Bahrain Victorious and Intermarché-Wanty battle it out for the entrance, maintaining Cavendish simply behind.
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2km to go
Lotto Dstny are within the lead for Arnaud De Lie on the left aspect of the highway whereas Alpecin-Deceuninck start to make an enormous surge. Cofidis and sprinter Bryan Coquard get pinched out of rivalry as Philipsen’s staff shut from the best 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 staff’s wheels, ignoring Workforce DSM-Firmenich-PostNL and Arkéa-B&B Inns on the far proper aspect of the highway.
1km to go
Cavendish’s staff pulls him forward of De Lie and Philipsen, trying 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 might’t make it, Bahrain’s Phil Bauhaus is in the way in which 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 best and begin to pinch Astana, placing Mørkøv fully out of the image. Astana are boxed in alongside the left aspect boundaries, having to coast behind inexperienced jersey holder Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X).
Then, Alpecin’s man pulls off to the best, 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 staff however slots in behind Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech). A quick coming collectively between Ackermann and Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Inns) proper in entrance of Cavendish may simply have triggered a crash – fortunately they bounced off one another.
700m – 600m to go
After Ackermann and Démare’s conflict, Cavendish slots barely to the best and finds Philipsen’s wheel however Bauhaus tries to battle him for it, however is not any match. Cavendish will get his bars in entrance and Bauhaus, who has Fernando Gaviria to his proper, has a option to make – battle Cav for the wheel and crash or quit. He makes the best selection.
400m to go
Van der Poel begins his lead-out with Philipsen and Cavendish on his wheel, who has Démare attempting to crowd him on the left. Cavendish appears hopelessly boxed in however a magic second occurs when Ryan Gibbons (Lidl-Trek) begins his remaining surge for Mads Pedersen.
DSM’s remaining 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 velocity.
“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 velocity 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 might’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 report and inks his identify into the Tour de France historical past books because the rider to win essentially the most levels in historical past, beating Philipsen and Kristoff.
