CAV: I’LL NEVER BE GREAT AS MERCKX... AND EDDY AGREES
MARK CAVENDISH began the long march to Paris insisting that he should NEVER be compared with Tour de France legend Eddy Merckx.
Britain’s sprint deity survived the first of five punishing mountain stages after equalling Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins on Friday.
Cavendish, 36, took to the Pyrenees with tributes from a chorus line of cycling greats – including Merckx himself.
But the Manxman is still trying to trivialise what most outsiders consider to be a momentous feat.
Before setting off on stage 14, a 114-mile trek to Quillan in the Pyrenees foothills ahead of today’s excursion into high-altitude Andorra, Cavendish said: “I don’t think I can ever be compared with the greatest road cyclist of all time.
“It’s just a number, you know? It doesn’t put me on a level with Eddy Merckx as a cyclist – I’m a sprinter.
“This race has been my life, the Tour de France, and always will be my life.
“If I can make history at this race, regardless of the names of great riders that have done it, then that’s what I want to do. It’s an honour for me.”
Merckx (above), now 76 and virtually Belgian royalty, claimed he will “not lose any sleep” over Cavendish matching, or even topping, his record.
But he told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper: “Of course there’s a difference between us. I won 34 Tour stages by winning sprints, in the mountains, in time trials and going on
the attack on the descents.
“Let’s not forget the five Yellow Jerseys I’ve got at home, plus the 96 days I wore it. Does that not seem much?
“Naturally, I’m not trying to play down what he’s achieved.
“He’s been through a difficult time and has fallen in love with cycling again.
“That’s a great message for young people in the sport.”
In a separate interview, Merckx revealed: “In his first spell with Quickstep, Cavendish sometimes slept at my home, with some other riders, during the criteriums.
“Mark was the only one who cleaned his room, and left it neat and tidy.
“What I remember most about him is his politeness.” Realistically, Cavendish has two remaining chances to go ahead of Merckx – on Friday in Libourne and next Sunday’s finale on the Champs-elysees, which he has won four times before.
Deceuninck-quickstep manager Patrick Lefevere believes the key to Cav’s four
stage wins in 11 days to draw level with Merckx was a gruelling 10-day boot camp in Greece.
Lefevere said: “You do not win four stages at a single edition of the Tour by luck – you have to work for it. Nobody sees that he did 10 days in Greece with our trainer, that he was training like hell.”
Holland’s Bauke Mollema won yesterday’s stage after a superb 25-mile solo breakaway.
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar remains in the leader’s Yellow Jersey, four minutes ahead of Guillaume Martin.