Mark Cavendish takes record equaling 34th Tour de France stage win, equals Merckx
Cavendish wins stage 4 of the Tour de France in thrilling bunch sprint
The Manxman has now equaled the record for Tour de France stage wins held by the legendary Eddy Merckx.
Mark Cavendish has equaled the record for most Tour de France stage wins after a thrilling bunch sprint on stage 4 of this year's race. The Manxman timed his effort to perfection to take victory in the 150.3km stage from Dunkirk to Calais, France.
Cavendish now has a total 34 stage wins in the Tour de France, equaling the record set by the legendary Eddy Merckx.
Cavendish was part of a large group of riders that contested the victory on the flat and fast stage. He was able to stay in the wheels of his rivals before launching a powerful sprint finish in the final few hundred meters.
Cavendish crossed the line just ahead of Jasper Philipsen of Belgium, with Nacer Bouhanni of France finishing third.
The victory is a major boost to Cavendish's hopes of winning a sixth green jersey at the Tour de France. He currently leads the points classification by 10 points.
The Tour de France continues on Tuesday with stage 5, a 189.2km stage from Lille Metropole to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut.
Reaction
Cavendish was delighted to have equaled Merckx's record and said that it was a "dream come true."
"I'm so happy to have won today," Cavendish said. "It's a dream come true to equal Eddy Merckx's record. I can't believe I'm in the same company as him."
Team Deceuninck-QuickStep manager Patrick Lefevere praised Cavendish's performance and said that he was "a true champion."
"Mark is a true champion," Lefevere said. "He's a fighter and he never gives up. I'm so proud of him for equaling Merckx's record."
Stats
- Mark Cavendish now has 34 Tour de France stage wins, equaling the record held by Eddy Merckx.
- Cavendish is the first rider to win four stages of the Tour de France since Andre Leducq in 1932.
- Cavendish is now just one stage win away from becoming the outright record holder for Tour de France stage wins.
