Precisely a yr in the past, it was extensively assumed Mark Cavendish had retired after he broke his collarbone in a devastating crash on the Tour de France. The veteran Briton had returned to the Tour after a prolonged hiatus simply to try to surpass Eddy Merckx’s 34 Tour stage wins — a document he matched in 2021.
Regardless of being urged to retire, the 39-year-old Cavendish made the daring name to return to the Tour this yr. By the tip of Stage 1, those that known as for his retirement have been justified. Within the opening climb, Cavendish was seen struggling by means of each pedal stroke, a lot in order that his teammates needed to pour bottles of water over him. Cavendish was seen vomiting on his bike. It was such a horrific efficiency that he ultimately crossed the road greater than 39 minutes down and 10 minutes contained in the lower.
Why on earth would Cavendish nonetheless endure? Biking followers obtained their solutions on Wednesday.
After three years of failed pursuits, Cavendish obtained the monkey off his again with a sensational dash end in Saint-Vulbas to clinch his record-breaking thirty fifth Tour stage win. Granted it got here in one of many simpler rounds — the plush Rhone Valley is a breeze in comparison with climbing the Alps — Cavendish prevailed with the unlikeliest of wins simply days after he almost pulled out of the Tour.