Mark Cavendish, a 39-year-old from the Isle of Man, became a legendary figure in Tour de France history as he snatched his 35th stage victory in a tumultuous sprint finish in Saint-Vulbas, making him the most successful stage winner ever. Although it wasn’t the Champs-Elysées, Cavendish seized his chance of glory at the Avenue des Bergeries, a place more known for its boulodromes than sprint finishes to secure his momentous victory.
Despite enduring bouts of sickness while cycling the opening stage of the Tour, Cavendish astonishingly took home an ebullient victory a year after he was forced to forgo his final Tour due to a broken collarbone. His extraordinary comeback turned into a testament to his overcoming of incredible odds, particularly given his struggle during the opening stage from Florence to Rimini.
As the Tour made its way out of the mountain region towards the flat terrains of the Rhone valley, anticipation mounted around Cavendish’s pursuit to surpass Eddy Merckx’s 34 stage wins. Fortuitously, his moment came, evading the mishap of the stage three crash into Turin, this time fortunes favoured Cavendish, with both the peloton and the weather working in his favour.
With 24 kilometres to go and the roads drying after a downpour, Cavendish and his Astana team adamantly held on to the right-hand side of the road maintaining a consistent pace throughout an otherwise humdrum stage.
Cavendish was thrust into a struggle to regain a favourable position as the stage approached its last five kilometres, taken over by the Lotto Dstny team. However, his victory was testament to his successful application of cunning, knowledge and experience in the sprint, as much as his reliance on his team. This record-breaking win was a classic depiction of Cavendish’s characteristic instincts.
Cavendish, among his numerous achievements, boasts two green Tour de France points jerseys, the 2016 Olympic silver omnium medal from Rio and the 2011 road world championship rainbow jersey. The 39-year-old has set his sight on garnering more accolades before his retirement at the end of this season, a decision he made public during the Giro d’Italia last month.
Since 1975, the record set by Belgian Merckx for 34 stage wins at the Tour had remained unbeaten, a record he established following a split stage time-trial triumph in Auch. The honour was equalled three years ago in Carcassonne by Cavendish, who was recently knighted in the king’s birthday honours last month.