Cav joins the Tour legends after win by a nose
It WaS by less than the width of a tyre, but that was enough for Mark Cavendish to write his name among the greats of the tour de France yesterday.
in the most dramatic of photo-finishes, the 31-year-old caught andre Greipel on the line to record his second win this year and become the equal second most prolific stage winner in the race’s history.
Only eddy Merckx, the greatest cyclist of all time, has more, with 34. Cavendish, with 28, is now level with Bernard hinault, the so-called ‘Badger’ who dominated cycling in the 1980s, but with every chance of pulling ahead over the next three weeks.
‘When i started my career, to think i could be mentioned in the same sentence as eddy Merckx or Bernard hinault is more than i could have dreamed of,’ said Cavendish. ‘there is no way i could sit here and compare myself to those greats. So i don’t look at the names, i just look at the numbers. if i win 50 stages, then great. if this is my last ever win, then so be it.’
after two hectic days, the peloton almost went to sleep during the long, flat stage from Granville to angers. Peter Sagan, who retained the yellow jersey, said he thought they might stop for coffee. But they woke up in the final 20km as the sprinters’ teams jostled for position until the final 200 metres when Cavendish emerged from behind Greipel, the big German. it was so close that he didn’t celebrate — though Greipel did, punching the air believing he had it.
‘i’ve won and lost by less than that before,’ said Cavendish. ‘i kind of thought i’d got it but you never know until it’s confirmed.
‘i think Greipel went earlier than he would have liked to. he’s a gutsy rider. When i went to pass him i didn’t really get him with the sprint, i got him with the lunge to the line.’