Tuesday, July 6th, 2021
Tour icon Merckx almost overtaken
Cavendish is racing towards an “eternal” record
The highly explosive double Ventoux stage is imminent, but Mark Cavendish is first shifting the focus to an ancient record. With his 33rd day win at the Tour de France, he is getting closer to cycling icon Eddy Merckx. Only one victory is missing.
“King Cav” shakes the throne of the great Eddy Merckx with all his might: The British sprint star Mark Cavendish has also won the third mass sprint of the 108th Tour de France and is only one victory away from the “eternal” stage record of the Belgian cycling icon . In the stormy finale of the 190.7-kilometer tenth stage in Valence, the man in the green jersey once again gave Andre Greipel’s rival no chance.
“That was the old school, as you can read in the cycling textbook,” said the grinning Cavendish: “I had good confidence that it was going well, I’m a blessed man. We have such good people on the team.” Cavendish relegated Belgians Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) to their places. Seasoned Greipel (Israel Start-up Nation) came seventh as the best German.
Cavendish has now achieved 33 daily victories in the Tour of France since 2008 – one less than Merckx. He owed his youngest to the excellent preparatory work of his Deceuninck-Quick Step team, who had prepared the 36-year-old for the sprint in an exemplary manner. The fact that rivals like the Belgian Tim Merlier or the French Arnaud Demare had involuntarily ended the race in the Alps also helped the Briton. For Tadej Pogacar there was little danger for the lead in the overall standings from the largely calm stage. The Slovenian defending champion rolled over the finish line with the main field in the yellow jersey.
“Doesn’t cost me any sleep”
Meanwhile, Merckx is calmly following Cavendish’s triumphant advance. “It doesn’t cost me any sleep. Records are there to be broken,” said the 76-year-old Belgian last. Many of his best marks are ultimately out of reach for Cavendish: “Mark Cavendish will never win the Tour de France five times. And he will never compete in yellow for 96 days. And what is the most important thing?”
The Belgian Tosh Van Der Sande (Lotto-Soudal) and Hugo Houle from Canada (Astana-Premier Tech) began their unpromising escape shortly after the start in the Olympic city of Albertville. The duo was left on “the long leash”, the lead controlled by the peloton. The escape was over 36 kilometers from the finish.
After the field merged, stormy weather in the Drome department made the finals difficult. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky over Valence, strong cross winds caused a hectic pace for the class riders and divided the field into several parts.
Greipels best placement
Cavendish was positioned at the top by his team, Greipel also stayed near him and waited for another triumph in Valence. After all, it was enough for the best placement on this tour so far.
Jonas Koch, who was the second German professional cyclist, was no longer there. According to his team Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert, the 28-year-old did not start because of health problems.
On Wednesday one of the four “holy mountains” will return to the tour program after five years – and how. The 198.9 kilometers long eleventh stage leads twice over the legendary Mont Ventoux. The goal is not on the summit of the bald giant. After the second ascent, the drivers take the descent to Malaucene.
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