Sixteen years ago, a small, stocky 23-year-old sprinter from the Isle of Man raced and won the world’s biggest bicycle race. Everyone knew Mark Cavendish’s name at the rain-soaked finish line of Stage 8 of the 2008 Tour de France. As he crossed the finish line, hands over his head in disbelief and flashing his signature cheeky grin for the cameras, it was the beginning of one of cycling’s greatest stories.
Much has been said and much written since then. Cavendish has won the Tour de France so many times that for a while it became a given. Across generations of sprinters, the Manx rider has remained at the top – the fastest, the best, the greatest. Science tells us that with 35 stage wins and approaching 40 years of age, he shouldn’t be winning anymore. But as Mark Cavendish has proven, only he can decide when the winning ends.
There are plenty of reasons why a fairytale, record-breaking 35th stage win seems unlikely at this year’s Tour. Cavendish had only won two smaller races this season, struggled in the stifling Italian heat when the Tour finally got going, and narrowly missed the time cuts on the first three stages. He lost his lead-out train and was wheeling alone during the sprint finish of Stage 5. You couldn’t blame him for stopping believing. There were times when it looked like the dream was slipping away.
But in the end, nothing mattered except that Cavendish believed in himself. When he made a sprint, found a gap in the galloping pack and pulled away for the finish line, it was just him and his bike. It was always like that. The way he moved from one end of the road to the other and won with unmatched dominance was so Mark Cavendish: gritty yet stylish, smooth yet powerful, small in stature but powerful in presence. And then the moment came. History was made. Stage 35 was won. And we all felt like we should never have doubted him.
“Of course people didn’t believe I could win the next stage of the Tour because they don’t know what it takes to win a stage of the Tour,” Cavendish said matter-of-factly after his win. “If everyone knew what I had to do in the sprint, my job would be much harder. Even if you win, there’s always someone trying to take it away. The guy sitting just behind you to your left is going to try to take something away from today’s victory.”
His simple, candid answer at the press conference was exactly as it should have been: This is Cab. A Manx missile, a crowd favourite. A fast sprinter and an even faster talker. That hasn’t changed since his first stage win at the Tour. His journey has had its ups and downs but we’ve all been there with him. That makes it all great.
“It means a lot because it’s a challenge and it’s pressure. He won at 39 and everyone said that the first contraction muscle fibres don’t exist anymore, but if anyone can do it, it’s Mark,” Cavendish’s coach and friend Vassilis Anastopoulos said after the stage. “From the moment he announced he was continuing at the start of the season, everyone was talking about being 35. You can’t imagine the pressure, but he’s a great champion and only a champion can withstand this.”
Cavendish’s former team-mate, Mark Renshaw, now Astana Kazakhstan’s sporting director, stood blank-eyed by the team bus after the finish and echoed Anastopoulos’ sentiments.
“That was just Cavendish playing. It took him a long time to come back from this accident but he’s surprised me so many times before that I never doubted him. We practiced for hours in training camp and the team never had any doubts,” the 41-year-old Cavendish said with an excited voice.
“It’s been a long time of preparation, the team has invested a lot in the riders they’ve signed and they’ve made some big changes to the team. It’s been fantastic. The last 100 meters today was Cav from 2009, ’10 and ’11. His momentum going left was first class. I’m really proud of the guys. We’ve put a lot of effort into this. This wasn’t just a side project. Vino [Alexandre Vinokourov, Astana-Qazaqstan, team manager] In an interview, he said he wanted to make history.
The significance of Cavendish’s achievement in today’s Tour de France was felt throughout the pack. Former teammates spoke of his hard work, perseverance and motivation. The Isle of Man rider had influenced them all in some way.
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard it on the radio. Of course we had no idea because we were quite far from the trouble but I’m so happy for him. He deserves it. He’s the best sprinter of all time. It’s great for him to keep the record and not share it any more. I’m really happy,” Ineos Grenadiers’ Geraint Thomas said after the stage.
Even his rivals, who had been overtaken by Cavendish on the run to St. Vulvas, felt the gravity of the incident.
“I was team-mate with him before and he is an example to me and to many others. He is the best sprinter of all time and he proved why today. At that age he still has the tenacity, commitment and gave it his all. He got what he deserved,” smiled Fabio Jacobsen of Team dsm-Firmenich-PostNL.
Those who have been through the ups and downs with the Isle of Man sprinter were able to take it all in today. Soudal-QuickStep team boss Patrick Lefebvre was beaming beside his team bus as he watched Cavendish sprint to victory. The Astana rider may no longer be wearing the Belgian team jersey, but everyone seemed to be rooting for him today.
“We were on the bus and everyone was screaming as if it was one of our riders. There was a frenzy on the bus when we saw that Mark won. I’m proud and happy for him and I think we’ve all made his part of history,” Lefebvre said. “From my perspective, I thought he should have said goodbye when he won four stages in 2021, but he didn’t. I was wrong.”
The words repeated over and over near the finish line of today’s stage were: Mark Cavendish is now officially the greatest sprinter of all time. Everyone there today was privileged to experience this moment. There will never be another like him. A record that will stand for years to come. At the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish feels like a giant among men, but at the same time, he’s still just Cavendish. A rider who can’t stop tinkering with bike settings, isn’t afraid to swear at journalists and is forthright in expressing his feelings, whether he likes it or not. A genuine, beloved hero of cycling. And the best of all time.
