The emotional shout of “Go Mark!’ in several languages from contained in the Astana-Qazaqstan crew was the primary signal that historical past was about to be made on the Tour de France on Wednesday afternoon.
I used to be stood exterior the crew bus with just a few different media, watching the ultimate kilometres on our cell phones. However we have been just a few seconds behind the reside French tv photographs on the bus and will think about what was taking place.
Then the shouts of encouragement grew to become even louder and much more emotional. Then they exploded in celebration when Mark Cavendish gained the dash in Saint-Vulbas.
The Manxman had gained his thirty fifth stage on the Tour de France, to go one higher than Eddy Merckx. It was a second of biking historical past, one that always appeared prefer it would possibly by no means occur however one which Cavendish and everybody at Astana-Qazaqstan all the time believed in.
Everybody within the crew bus roared in celebration and banged the roof and home windows. The bus’ horn rang out like church bells, telling everybody that that they had gained. ‘Challenge 35’ had been achieved.
Workforce supervisor Alexander Vinokourov was the primary to return off the bus. He may hardly maintain again his feelings. He rapidly grabbed a motorbike to journey to the end space. He interrupted Cavendish’s tv interview to hug him and have fun collectively.
Vinokourov and Cavendish have change into surprisingly shut within the final 18 months after the Kazakhstani supervisor invested and believed within the Manxman, when most different groups had written him off.
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On the day Cyclingnews revealed that Chinese language carbon fibre producer XDS Carbon-Tech would make investments considerably within the crew with the objective of making a ‘tremendous crew’, Cavendish and Astana-Qazaqstan delivered. The celebrities aligned in a second of success and little doubt helped create the way forward for the crew.
As Cavendish celebrated together with his teammates after which his household on the end line, different riders rode by and provided congratulations.
“To proceed to do what he does at his age – he is 39, and everybody says you get slower as you become old – he is confirmed that unsuitable, actually. It is unbelievable what he does, and I am tremendous blissful for him,” Geraint Thomas mentioned.
The Astana-Qazaqstan race automobiles arrived subsequent, blowing their horns and shouting in celebration.
Vasilis Anastopoulos returned as Cavendish’s coach this season having beforehand labored with him at QuickStep when he was so profitable in 2021. Cavendish has spent extra time with him at races and at his Greek residence for particular coaching than he has spent at residence together with his household. No person is aware of what Cavendish has overcome, even in latest months, like Anastopoulos.
He was understandably in tears.
“You noticed right this moment why he’s a giant champion,” Anastopoulos mentioned.
“He’s 39 years previous. A lot of the guys thought he wasn’t going to make it. He proved them unsuitable one time in 2021, after which he proved everyone unsuitable once more in 2024. He’s a phenomenon. I can inform you it was not a straightforward one, however we by no means stopped believing that this might come true.”
‘Challenge 35’ is accomplished however Anastopoulos, like Cavendish, remains to be hungry for extra success and extra feelings like right this moment.
“We’re not going to cease,” Anastopoulos mentioned.
“Tomorrow is one other probability. We wish to win as a lot as attainable. That’s why we can not cease. Our objective is to achieve Good and have fun there. We would like two or three extra wins earlier than he can cease.”
“He is only a high-quality wine. He simply will get higher and higher”
Mark Renshaw hugged Anastopoulos and the opposite workers members after leaping out of the crew. Stefano Zainini was a profitable sprinter throughout his personal profession however was overcome with emotion. He was the primary directeur sportif to work with Cavendish at Astana-Qazaqstan and all the time believed he may get again to his finest and win a Tour de France stage.
“He is only a high-quality wine. He simply will get higher and higher,” Renshaw mentioned of Cavendish.
“The crew had a lot confidence in him, and so they’ve had confidence all 12 months. Vino backed this venture, and we signed nice riders.
“We have modified the crew to take care of him, to get him attainable to win and he has simply been mega dedicated. I do not know what number of days he is been together with his household, however this 12 months it isn’t many. That is the form of dedication you want as a motorbike rider.”
As Cavendish accomplished the stage winner’s podium ceremony and did a sequence of interviews, different crew autos and buses drove previous on their strategy to their motels. Many stopped to high-five and congratulate the Astana-Qazaqstan workers. Everybody working behind the scenes in skilled biking groups is aware of how particular main victories, particularly historic victories, are. There was respect and shared happiness.
The crowds progressively diminished because the Astana-Qazaqstan bus waited for Cavendish to reach. A few of his teammates headed to their resort by automobile, and a lot of the media headed again to the Tour de France press centre.
I and some different journalists determined to attend to see Cavendish return. It felt the suitable factor to do. I’ve adopted a lot of Cavendish’s profession, from his Tour de France debut in 2007 in London, his Milan-San Remo victory in 2009 and lots of others since then. It appeared like a second to seize, to savour and to share.
An hour or so after the stage, everybody appeared down the street in direction of the end space, ready for Cavendish to reach.
We noticed his spouse Peta and their youngsters strolling in direction of the bus, after which Cavendish joined them, beaming with happiness and satisfaction.
“I am so blissful. I am so blissful for him, I am blissful for Vasilis (Anastopoulos), I am blissful for Vino, I am blissful for all the folks on this final couple of years that have gotten on board and dedicated the identical manner that he has,” Peta advised Cyclingnews and the Biking Podcast.
“On Monday, when everybody was saying: ‘Why has he come again? He is too previous, he ought to have stopped final 12 months, have some dignity, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I used to be identical to: ‘Say a bit louder!’ As a result of Mark is usually a ache within the arse, however if you happen to say that he cannot, then he most likely will.”
Peta and Mark have overcome many obstacles collectively, particularly lately. She understands his love for biking and why he needed to race on in 2024 to attempt to win a thirty fifth stage on the Tour de France.
“He loves the Tour de France and I by no means needed him to depart the Tour behind an ambulance like final 12 months,” Peta defined, the emotion filling her voice.
When Cavendish lastly reached the crew bus, he hugged Anastopoulos intensely. Anastopoulos quietly mentioned to him, ‘We did it, we did it…’
Cavendish additionally hugged Renshaw, as soon as his loyal leadout man, now his loyal directeur sportif. Quickly on the bus they posed for a selfie. Cavendish held up 5 fingers, Renshaw three, signifying 35 victories.
Challenge 35 has been achieved.
