Cavendish Secures Historic 35th Stage Victory at Tour de France, Cementing His Legacy.

Posted 2 months ago

Mark Cavendish was driven and destined to break the Tour de France stage wins record.

Last year was meant to be Mark Cavendish's final Tour de France, his 14th, but the dream of ending his career with the outright stage wins record drove him to delay retirement and make another comeback.

Already hailed as the greatest sprinter of all time, Cavendish achieved his 35th victory in cycling's premier race at Saint Vulbas on Wednesday, marking his 165th career win.

By surpassing Eddy Merckx, Cavendish is now immortalized as the greatest stage winner in Tour history. Merckx, who won the Tour five times between 1969-1974, congratulated Cavendish in a social media post, calling him a good guy who made history.

Cavendish had shared the record for most Tour stage wins with Merckx since his 34th stage win in 2021. At 39, achieving what was once deemed unreachable, especially for a sprinter, showcases his career's longevity and success.

"The Tour de France is bigger than cycling. I love it, I love racing the Tour," Cavendish said. "Every little detail has been put towards today."

Cavendish's Tour journey began on 7 July 2008 at Chateauroux, where he won the first of four stages in that edition. His breakthrough came in 2005 with a world title in the madison, emerging from the British Cycling academy under Rod Ellingworth's guidance.

His knack for reading finishes, maneuvering into position, and delivering explosive accelerations has made him a formidable force in La Grande Boucle.