Cavendish earns Tour de France immortality with 35th stage win

Mark Cavendish's 165th profession triumph at Saint Vulbas connected Wednesday felt for illustration his destiny.

Last twelvemonth was expected to beryllium his 14th and last Tour, but nan dream of ending his profession pinch nan outright Tour shape grounds motivated him to hold his status and make different comeback.

Already regarded arsenic nan champion sprinter of each time, now nan Manx Missile has earned nan prize he desperately sought.

He will beryllium immortalised successful nan race's history aft eclipsing Eddy Merckx to go its top ever shape winner.

In a station connected societal media Merckx, who won nan Tour 5 times betwixt 1969-1974, wrote: "Congratulations Mark for this historical performance. A bully feline who has beaten my grounds connected nan Tour."

At nan property of 39, surpassing a tally antecedently considered almost retired of scope for immoderate modern-day rider fto unsocial a sprinter, is an accomplishment that speaks of nan longevity and breadth of occurrence of his career.

"The Tour de France is bigger than cycling. I emotion it, I emotion racing nan Tour," Cavendish said.

"Every small item has been put towards today."

Cavendish's emotion matter pinch nan Tour began connected 7 July 2008 astatine Chateauroux - nan first of 4 shape victories successful that version of nan race.

His breakthrough infinitesimal arguably came connected nan way successful 2005, pinch a world title successful nan madison, aft springing to prominence successful nan newly-formed British Cycling academy nether nan supervision of Rod Ellingworth.

But his expertise to publication a finish, weave into position and nutrient devastating accelerations person each served to make him formidable successful La Grande Boucle.

Since drafting level pinch Belgian fable Merckx successful 2021, Cavendish has had to woody pinch a knifepoint robbery and nan uncertainty of uncovering a caller squad astatine nan property of 37.

There was besides nan bitter disappointment of leaving nan Tour pinch a surgery collarbone 12 months ago, while injuries and slump contributed to him not winning erstwhile during 2019 and 2020.

Yet present he is successful his 15th Tour, displaying nan assurance of nan rider who was virtually intolerable to hit betwixt 2008 and 2012 erstwhile he claimed 23 shape wins, including 4 connected nan Champs-Elysees.

"Without nan Tour de France cycling does not exist," Cavendish said successful his 2023 Netflix documentary, Mark Cavendish: Never Enough.

With 35 victories retired of 215 completed stages he besides has a onslaught complaint of almost 1 successful six.

It is simply a singular feat for a rider who has been described arsenic having a crisp lingua and fiery temper by erstwhile team-mates - and arsenic a "pain successful nan ass" by nan straight-talking Vasilis Anastopoulos, who worked pinch Cavendish astatine Quick Step and is now caput of capacity astatine nan Manxman’s existent Astana Qazaqstan team.

The Greek coach has been credited by Cavendish for helping rejuvenate his profession during their clip together astatine nan Belgian Quick Step team, and for playing a pivotal domiciled successful his 2021 and 2022 occurrence astatine some nan Tour and Giro d’Italia.

Cavendish's erstwhile lead-out man Mark Renshaw is now Astana's sporting director.

"He's amazing. He’s conscionable for illustration a good vino who gets amended and better," Renshaw said of nan sprinter.

"The squad had truthful overmuch assurance successful him and they had that each year. We've changed nan squad to look aft him and he has been mega committed.

"I don’t cognize really galore days he's been pinch his family but this twelvemonth it has not been galore and that is nan type of committedness you need."

It was notable to spot nan sheer number of riders waiting to clasp Cavendish astatine nan conclusion of Wednesday's 177.4 km way from Saint Jean de Maurienne to Saint Vulbas.

But erstwhile he was struggling successful nan power connected a sadistic opening shape containing complete 3,600m of climbing, location had been doubts arsenic to whether this historical triumph would moreover beryllium possible.

An affectional Anastopoulos said: "We spent 3 months successful Greece from 2 April, each time believing. On nan first time [of nan Tour] he had power changeable truthful we thought we had done thing wrong, but he did it again.

"He was ace beardown astatine nan end. He was nan aged Cavendish."

Race leader Tadej Pogacar said astatine nan decorativeness line: "Incredible. A 35th triumph for Mark. I utilized to watch him connected tv and we loved him. He came to maine and said 'don’t you break my record' - but I don’t deliberation I can."

Speaking connected ITV 4, Cavendish's erstwhile Team Sky team-mate Peter Kennaugh besides gave a glowing tribute to his puerility friend.

"You tin ne'er springiness up religion successful Mark Cavendish. I cognize this will mean everything to Mark because he is truthful overmuch much than a sprinter," Kennaugh said.

"What he has achieved is not conscionable going down successful cycling history but sporting history. It is incredible.

"He thrives disconnected group telling him he can't do it and he's had that his full profession until this very day.

"This was astir overmuch much than modern cycling and what we spot each day. It was astir passion, dedication and his emotion for nan athletics and willingness to ne'er springiness up."