Mark Cavendish breaks Tour de France record for most stage wins, passes Eddy Merckx for 35th victory

Manx bike owner Mark Cavendish made historical past on the Tour De France together with his thirty fifth stage victory, breaking a 34-win file held by Eddy Merckx, who set it from 1969-1975. Cavendish pulled away within the fifth stage of the tour round 100 meters away from the end line, passing Jasper Phillipsen for a brand new chapter within the race’s historical past books. He completed with a time of 4 hours, 8 minutes and 46 seconds — as did everybody else who completed within the top-ten.

Cavendish had tied Merckx’s file within the 2021 Tour de France and had a chance to surpass it final yr. Nevertheless, his 2023 season was minimize brief by a collision with Phillipsen that resulted in a damaged proper collarbone. Cavendish had pushed again his retirement following the premature finish to his 2023 season, and his want for one more stage win propelled him again to the Tour de France.

Instantly after the race, Cavendish instructed ITV, “I am in a little bit little bit of disbelief. I put an enormous gamble on this yr to ensure we’re good right here on the Tour de France…We gambled coming right here, attempting to win not less than one stage. That is an enormous gamble for my boss, Alex Vinokourov, [and] the staff to do…to go all-in, and we have completed it.”

“It is how the Tour de France is,” he added. “You go as laborious as you’ll be able to til you get to the end line, and possibly your life modifications for those who cross that line first. If it does not, you do not. That is the character of this race and what makes it so stunning.”

Cavendish gained his first Tour De France in 2008, claiming the fifth, eighth, twelfth and thirteenth phases. He is continued to show excellence all through his profession and battled via sicknesses this yr to compete within the Presidential Biking Tour of Turkey in April, the place he gained the second leg, and the Tour of Hungary in Might, the place he took a dash win in stage 2.

Cavendish’s sports activities director, retired bike owner Mark Renshaw, in contrast Cavendish to a “nice wine” upon his victory.

“He simply will get higher and higher,” Renshaw mentioned. “I believe the staff had a lot confidence in him. They’ve had confidence all yr. We have signed nice riders, we have modified the staff to take care of him, to get him doable to win, and he is simply been mega-committed. I do not know what number of days he is been together with his household, however this yr, it is not many, and that is the form of dedication you want as a motorbike rider.”

At 39 years outdated and having raced professionally since 2005, many anticipated the Tour de France to be Cavendish’s final. If that’s the case, he can exit realizing he etched his title to the distinguished tour’s file books and capped off an illustrious profession the one means he knew how: on high.