The curtain may have come down on Mark Cavendish’s illustrious career after he rode his final Tour de France stage in Nice on Sunday. However, fans will be pleased to see him back in action, albeit not competitively, as he takes part in the post-Tour criteriums in the Netherlands this week.
It was a fairytale goodbye for Cavendish in his 15th and final Tour de France. He broke the stage win record he shared with Eddy Merckx on stage 5 into Saint-Vulbas and survived to finish stage 21, where he had his own podium ceremony to honour his legendary career.
Set to bring joy to Dutch fans, Cavendish will start at the criteriums in Chaam on Wednesday, 24th July and Heerlen on Friday, 26th July. Event organisers are thrilled at his participation. Chris Tiekstra, one of the organisers, highlighted the crucial role of Jos van de Mortel, owner of team Parkhotel Valkenburg, in securing Cavendish’s participation.
“Cavendish won the sprint on 3rd July, reaching a legendary 35 Tour victories. He also boasts 17 stage wins in the Giro d’Italia and three in the Tour of Spain—a true cycling great who also competed in Heerlen in 2008,” Tiekstra noted.
He’ll be joined on the start line in Heerlen by Dutch Astana Qazaqstan teammate Cees Bol and breakthrough rider Frank van den Broek, who secured a notable 1-2 for DSM-Firmenich PostNL on the Tour’s opening stage alongside Romain Bardet.
Post-Tour de France 2024 criteriums
The criteriums are a long-running tradition in the week following the Tour de France. Starting on Monday, the day after the Tour finished, races in Boxmeer and Aalst saw stage winners Dylan Groenewegen and Victor Campenaerts repeat their success with ‘wins’. These events serve as exhibitions for the public to enjoy rather than official UCI races. Jersey winners from the Tour often ride in their famous jerseys and frequently take the ‘win’ along with a nice appearance fee. This latest series of events promises to be a treat for cycling fans, offering a chance to see their favourite riders in action and in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Mark Cavendish’s post-Tour criteriums
July 24, Chaam Mark Cavendish – also including Biniam Girmay, Olav Kooij
July 26, Heerlen Mark Cavendish – also including Frank van den Broek, Cees Bol