Exactly a year ago, it was widely assumed Mark Cavendish had retired after he broke his collarbone in a devastating crash at the Tour de France. The veteran Briton had returned to the Tour after a lengthy hiatus just to try and surpass Eddy Merckx’s 34 Tour stage wins — a record he matched in 2021.
Despite being urged to retire, the 39-year-old Cavendish made the bold call to return to the Tour this year. By the end of Stage 1, those who called for his retirement were justified. In the opening climb, Cavendish was seen struggling through every pedal stroke, so much so that his teammates had to pour bottles of water over him. Cavendish was seen vomiting on his bike. It was such a horrific performance that he eventually crossed the line more than 39 minutes down and 10 minutes inside the cut.
Why on earth would Cavendish still endure? Cycling fans got their answers on Wednesday.
After three years of failed pursuits, Cavendish got the monkey off his back with a sensational sprint finish in Saint-Vulbas to clinch his record-breaking 35th Tour stage win. Granted it came in one of the easier rounds — the lush Rhone Valley is a breeze compared to climbing the Alps — Cavendish prevailed with the unlikeliest of wins just days after he nearly pulled out of the Tour.