Throughout the Tour de France, the question has been, can Mark Cavendish equal/break the record of Eddy Merckx for the number of stage wins in the Tour – today (Friday) he did just that
Mark Cavendish Makes History
Today (Friday), Mark Cavendish showed he was more than equal to the task of equalling the record of the great Eddy Merckx by winning his 34th stage in the Tour de France in a chaotic stage finish which even with his leadout men, was really hard work for Cavendish. He fought and fought and sprinted to the victory though. Some sprint wins can be very straight forward but this was the complete opposite as he had his moments when it could have gone all wrong. Even in the final 20km, there were moments when he was squeezed and had to lean on riders to stay upright.
This victory was not just about Mark the fast man but Mark the sprinter who can handle the pressure and demands of sprinters like no other. He is an icon of sprinting. A completely different rider to Eddy Merckx who’s record he has equaled. Merckx has not only just won stages but the overall as well but Cavendish’s achievement is no less important given all he has had to overcome in a Tour de France. Icons in their own way …
Today’s win was his fourth in the 2021 Tour de France and whilst the cards have fallen for him and not against him in the race, Cavendish has taken the responsibility and pressure and used it to make history. The fact he is in the race at all is down to things going his way in 2021. The signing for such a powerful team, the wins in Turkey and other races, the opportunity to take Sam Bennett’s place in the race and the faith the team have shown not only giving him a place in the team, but also the faith in him and with that, all the help stage by stage. Whether it is a sprint or a mountain stage, he has teammates giving him the help he just would not get in other team.
The strength of his team can be seen by the second place of his leadout man Michael Morkov ahead of Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen. Oh, and Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey in Carcassonne.
Getty Images
Patrick Lefevere, Cav’s team boss said after the history making victory, “It would be pretentious to say we expected this. But when Sam Bennett started to struggle with his knee, I didn’t hesitate too long.” When Lefevere was asked what is the secret of Cav’s four stage wins in this Tour, the Quickstep boss replies “The Wolfpack. Everyone with us goes through fire for each other. Everyone puts their ego in their travel suitcase in the morning. Everyone works for everyone. Maybe that is also the case in other teams, but it works better for us.”
Lefevere thinks the record is “fantastic”, but what about the remainder of this Tour for the Green jersey holder? Will he survive? “You see Cavendish improving every day, but he hasn’t raced a Grand Tour in a few years. You can always have a bad day.”
Getty Images
Mark Cavendish meanwhile says “What a day. I am so dead after having raced 220 kilometres in that heat, in that wind – and what a finish! I was so on the limit in the end, but I had to sprint because of how much the guys had worked for me. The finish line was slightly uphill. [Iván García] Cortina went and I hoped [Michael] Morkov would bring him back because I had lost some ground on that last right-hand turn.”
“During the sprint, I was a bit worried because the commissaries had warned me I had headbutted Bouhanni on one of the first stages, so I was trying not to use my head and not to lean towards anyone during the sprint. For me, this is just another stage win on the Tour de France. It feels the same as the first one. I still don’t realise this is a special one because of the record. Just a kid’s dream comes true after a lot of hard work. If one of my victories can inspire ten children to take on cycling and maybe race the Tour de France/TdF Femmes. in the future, that’s what will matter the most to me.”
THE RACE
154 riders started stage 13 in Nîmes at 12.18 with one non-starter: Michael Gogl (Qhubeka-Nexthash). The race to be in the breakaway started quickly as Max Walscheid, Mads Pedersen and Lorenzo Rota managed to go clear after 15km but luck was not on their side. Sean Bennett, Omer Goldstein and Pierre Latour attacked after 27km. Latour was first over the top of the only categorized climb of the day, the côte de Pic Saint-Loup at km 51. The trio managed a maximum advantage of 4’45″ after 55km. Goldstein, the second cyclist from Israel to take part in the Tour de France after Guy Niv, became the first from his country to get himself into a breakaway and win an intermediate sprint (at km 104.3).
Deceuninck-Quick Step soon seized the reins of the peloton with the intention to deliver another bunch sprint for Mark Cavendish. Petr Vakoc gave them a hand working for his sprinter Jasper Philipsen. They brought the deficit down to 1’30″ when attacks begun at the front 65km with the likes of Philippe Gilbert. A major crash involving 30 riders including Geraint Thomas and Simon Yates happened in the peloton while in the breakaway, Bennett attacked and then lost contact when Goldstein countered.
Goldstein and Latour forged on ahead but the time gap was quickly reduced a there was a lot of action in the peloton after the crash. Bennett was reeled in, so were Goldstein and Latour with 53km to go as they attacked each other rather than riding together. It was bunch up 50km before the end but there also some riders who had to leave the race because of the crash; Roger Kluge, Simon Yates and Lucas Hamilton.
With 45km to go before the race reached Carcassonne, Quentin Pacher rode away solo. He got an advantage of 1’30″ that forced Julian Alaphilippe to pull as Tim Declercq was off the back after the crash, racing to get to the finish within the time limit (which he did). The lead of the Frenchman Pacher was down to 20″with 20km to go. There was a regrouping a kilometre later.
A fight for the front then ensued as GC teams like Ineos and others wanted to keep their GC riders safe. There was a lot of bumping shoulders and elbows in the peloton on what was quite a technical run in for a sprint finish. Ivan Garcia Cortina upset the plans of Deceuninck-Quick Step as he took the lead 300 metres before the line before Philipsen seemed to go for the win on the right hand side but Cavendish came off the wheel of Morkov at the eleventh hour to power to the tightest of his four Tour de France victories up to date this year.
Cycle Division’s Shop
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Team News: New Junior team for West Lothian Clarion
- 2025 Events: Plymouth Corinthian
- News: Junior/Youth National Series 2025
- CX Result: Leicestershire CX League 4
- CX Result: SWCX Round 9
- CX Result: National Trophy Rd 4: Day 1
- Startlist: Round 4 National Trophy Cyclocross (Dec 7/8)
- ELITE ROAD AND CIRCUIT RACES CALENDAR
- CX Result: Scottish CX Champs (Irvine)
- CX Result: Cyclocross Jersey Round 4
- CX Result: South West Cyclocross League Round 8
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series #9
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League
- CX Result: Shimano Lazer WMCCL Round 11
- CX Result: Western Cyclo Cross League Rd 7
- CX Result: Central Cyclocross League
- CX Result: Yorkshire CX League Round 6
- CX Result: Wessex Cyclocross League Round 10
- CX Result: CXNE Series Round 8
- CX Result: Eastern Region Regional Championships
- Sad News: No Saint Piran team for 2025
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Circuit Series #8
- News: The Pedal Club Lunch (November)
- CX Result: South East Regional CX Champs
- CX Result: Welsh Cyclo-Cross Champs
- CX Result: Central Cyclocross League Round 10
- CX Result: Eastern Cyclo-Cross League 7
- CX Result: Wessex Cyclocross League Southern Regional Champs
- CX Result: CXNE North of England Championships
- CX Result: Notts & Derby East Midlands Championships
- Team Update: Brother UK / Onform 2025
- CX Result: Shimano Lazer WMCCL Round 10
- Casa Guadalest: The Ultimate Holiday Rental
- Track Result: Manchester Regional Track League Wk 16
- 2024 UCI TRACK CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1
- CX Result: East Kent Cyclo Cross League Rd 3
- 2025 NATIONAL TRACK CALENDAR ANNOUNCED
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series 7
- CHS CICLISMO – Complimentary daily massage and spa!
- CX Result: NWCCA Round 8 (Cheshire)
Other News on VeloUK
- Team News: New Junior team for West Lothian Clarion
- 2025 Events: Plymouth Corinthian
- News: Junior/Youth National Series 2025
- Startlist: Round 4 National Trophy Cyclocross (Dec 7/8)
- ELITE ROAD AND CIRCUIT RACES CALENDAR
- Sad News: No Saint Piran team for 2025
- News: The Pedal Club Lunch (November)
- Team Update: Brother UK / Onform 2025
- 2025 NATIONAL TRACK CALENDAR ANNOUNCED
- CHS CICLISMO – Complimentary daily massage and spa!
- Team News: Fensham Howes – MAS Design 2025
- National Trophy Cyclocross: Round 3 (Torbay)
- Tofauti Everyone Active announces new partners and new name for 2025
- Rider News: Matt Thompson signs for French Team BMC Bezier
- News: Youth Tour of Scotland 2025
- FEATURE: Billy Ladle’s Stellar Season Recognised at British Cycling Awards
- 2025 Prologue Junior Race Team
- STARTLIST: BUCS Hill Climb Championships
- News: West Midlands Road Race League Winner 2024
- Tofauti Everyone Active reveals its roster for 2025
- This weekend: National Trophy Cyclocross 2
- Team News: INEOS Announce Structure/Staff Changes
- STARTLIST: RTTC National Hill Climb Championships
- Feature: The Pedal Club Lunch (October)
- NEWS! Max Walker joins EF Education-EasyPost
- World Tour win for Ethan Vernon
- Louise Sutton signs for Euskaltel Euskadi Team
- STARTLIST: Scottish National Hill Climb Championships 2024
- Rider News: Ben Marsh off to France to race
- Report/Result: World Gravel Championships
- This Weekend (Oct 5/6): National Trophy Cyclocross Round 1
- IOM 2024 YOUTH LEAGUE FINAL OVERALL
- Holiday Rentals: Escape to Casa Guadalest (Spain)
- Sponsor News: Custom Clothing from Santini
- News: Ribble launches the Allroad Ti – Crafted for More
- NEWS: The Pedal Club Lunch — September with Jez Cox
- Ultimate Cycling Experience at CHS Ciclismo
- Worlds: Great Britain Riders for 2024 Road Worlds
- Rider Report: Alistair Gardner wins two Kermesses
- EVENTS: Portmore Classic (29th of September, Dorset)