After Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan achieved a record 35th stage win at the Tour de France in Saint Vulbas, the reaction from cycling legend Eddy Merckx was perhaps the most significant. Until this historic stage, Merckx had shared the record with Cavendish, both holding 34 stage wins.
Cavendish matched Merckx’s record in 2021, and at the time, the front cover of L’Equipe read “Le Cannibale du Sprint”. This morning, the French paper opted for a simpler title: “Mark Cavendish The Cannibal”. Despite borrowing Merckxโs famous nickname, the 79-year-old Belgian showed nothing but respect on social media. “Congratulations to Mark Cavendish on this historic achievement! Such a nice guy to break my record,” Merckx said in an Instagram story.
When asked to share a message with Merckx, Cavendish was quick to clarify, โIt was our record, not his record,โ while also humbly pointing out that 35 is just a number. โI love Eddy, heโs always been super nice to me. Itโs not taking anything from the great Eddy Merckx; itโs just a number. Eddy Merckx is Eddy Merckx,โ Cavendish commented to VTM Nieuws.
Merckx, known for his competitive spirit even in retirement, had previously mentioned to *La Gazzetta dello Sport* that he โwonโt lose any sleep over itโ and stayed true to his word by congratulating Cavendish. This shared competitive nature has driven both men to remarkable success in their careers.
Cavendishโs journey to this milestone has not been without its challenges. His determination is evident, having battled serious illness, depression, and a crash resulting in a collarbone fracture during the 2023 Tour. Despite these setbacks, Cavendish remains focused on future victories.
Today’s stage to Dijon presents the first opportunity for Cavendish to push his record even further. The Manx Missile, already dreaming of โ36, 37, even 40 stagesโ before the race started, is undoubtedly setting his sights on more wins. For Cavendish, it has always been about winning itself, not just standing alone at the top of the leaderboard.