Cavendish makes his mark by equalling Merckx record
Thirteen years after his maiden stage win at the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish added yet another mass sprint to his tally and equalled Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 stage wins yesterday.
Merckx amassed his wins in the 1960s and ’70s, when his domination was so outrageous, he earned the nickname ‘The Cannibal’. Unlike Merckx, who did it a record five times, Cavendish has never won the Tour.
“I don’t think I can ever be compared to the great Eddy Merckx, the greatest male road cyclist of all time,” he said.
Cavendish’s abilities are more limited but his speed prowess and longevity among sprinters have no equal at the Tour. Particularly this summer, in the absence of teammate Sam Bennett, who he replaced at the last minute — and after Caleb Ewan crashed out early in the race.
Taking part in cycling’s biggest race for the first time since 2018, the 36-year-old former world champion posted his fourth stage win in the southern city of Carcassonne, at the end of a long, hot day on the bike.
“I haven’t realised it,” he said when asked about the record, “It’s still just another win on the Tour de France. It’s like my first. I’ve won a stage of the Tour de France. It’s what I dreamed of as a kid and it’s what I dream of now. I’ve worked so hard for it.”
Cavendish’s latest achievements are even more remarkable for coming after a long period of doubts. A few months ago, he was contemplating retirement. But Cavendish secured a new contract with his former Deceuninck Quick Step team for this year after returning from a bout of depression and several seasons of struggles on and off the bike.
He was not expected to ride in the Tour and was a late call-up last month as a replacement for Bennett, the best sprinter of last year’s Tour.
Having survived the Alpine stages in terrible weather, Cavendish will have two more opportunities in flat stages to beat Merckx’s record if he goes across the Pyrenees without trouble. And if he finishes in Paris on July 18, the best sprinter’s green jersey he currently dons will be another target. He has completed the Tour in half of his 12 entries.
Cavendish jostled for position in the last 2km to stay on the wheel of lead-out man Michael Morkov. He looked trapped in traffic with 300m left but zigzagged to the front and comfortably won ahead of Morkov. “A lot of the day, it didn’t feel like it, but it had to happen because I had the guys riding like they were. I was so on the limit there,” Cavendish said.
There was no significant change in the general classification, as race leader Tadej Pogacar enjoyed a quiet day in the peloton. Pogacar kept his 5m 18s lead over secondplaced Rigoberto Uran, with Jonas Vingegaard third, 5m 33s off the pace.