Mark Cavendish had to give up. © APA/afp / THOMAS SAMSON

“Breaks my heart”: Cavendish’s dream is shattered

Mark Cavendish sat blank-eyed in a minibus on a country road in the Dordogne. The dream of becoming the sole record stage winner of the Tour de France was probably shattered due to carelessness about 60 kilometers before the finish of the eighth stage.

July 08, 2023

From: dpa

The 38-year-old fell with Spaniard Pello Bilbao and apparently suffered a shoulder injury. The tour doctor immediately put a bandage on the Brit, and the creaking tour radio announced: “Cavendish abandon” – Cavendish is giving up. Instead of continuing to hope for the 35th stage win, the Manx missile went for an X-ray. The Dane Mads Pedersen won the stage.

Cavendish announced in May that he would end his career at the end of the year. The former world champion wanted to win his 14th stage on his 35th and final tour. This would have put him ahead of the legend Eddy Merckx, with whom he is currently tied for first place with 34 daily successes. On Friday in Bordeaux, Cavendish was close to success in front of his family, but due to a problem with the gears he had to let Belgian Jasper Philipsen overtake him.

Mads Pedersen sprinted to victory. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

To achieve his big goal, Cavendish changed teams again before the season. Since he didn't get a new contract at QuickStep and had overwhelming competition in Fabio Jakobsen, he signed with Astana. His last tour was all about the record. “I will regret not being able to enjoy the moment and the whole tour experience. But I have a job to do,” said the professional from the Isle of Man.

An up and down

The sprinter's tour history was marked by great successes, but also by repeated falls and setbacks. In 2014 he crashed on the first stage of the Grand Départ in Yorkshire, and three years later Peter Sagan took him out of the race with a dangerous maneuver in the bunch sprint. In 2018, Cavendish fell outside the time limit in the mountains, missed the tour in the following two years and was already close to the end of his career in 2020.

A legend: Mark Cavendish © ANSA / CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON

However, QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere offered him a minimum wage contract. Cavendish made an impact and was surprisingly nominated for the 2021 tour due to Irishman Sam Bennett's poor form. There the Brit astonished like in the best of times, winning four stages and the green jersey. At the end of May he won the final stage of the Giro and increased his victory tally to 162 successes. It is questionable whether more will be added.

Before the first day of rest, there is another spectacle. On Sunday, the legendary Puy de Dôme will be climbed again for the first time in 35 years. At that time, Rolf Gölz took second place behind the Dane Johnny Weitz. His compatriot Jonas Vingegaard will try to distance Tadej Pogacar. The last 4,5 kilometers in particular offer the opportunity to do this with an average gradient of twelve percent.