Tour de France 2021 – How many more TDF stages can Mark Cavendish win with Eddy Merckx record in sight?

ByTom Bennett

Updated 01/07/2021 at 21:55 GMT

“That was textbook sprinting by Mark Cavendish. At the front, no dangers, no bumping and barging like all the other sprinters. It’s number 32, how many more stages can he win at the Tour de France? That’s the question.” Brian Smith asked the question that Mark Cavendish refuses to answer after the Manx Missile's 32nd Tour de France stage win.

Eurosport pundit Brian Smith believes Mark Cavendish’s win in Stage 6 of the Tour de France was a “textbook” display of sprinting.

The Manx Missile timed his finish to perfection in Châteauroux, jumping from the Deceuninck – Quick-Step train and onto the wheel of his rivals’ lead-out, before darting around the outside and holding off Jasper Philipsen to the line.

And Smith explained how that “split-second decision” was key to Cavendish’s victory.

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“Because of the movement of Alpecin Fenix, Cavendish made a split-second decision and moves over onto the wheel of Jasper Philipsen and decides to use Alpecin-Fenix’s lead-out,” Smith said on The Breakaway.

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“[Then he] opens up the power straight to the finish line," the Eurosport expert continued.

“That was textbook sprinting by Mark Cavendish. At the front, no dangers, no bumping and barging like all the other sprinters.

“It’s number 32, how many more stages can he win at the Tour de France? That’s the question.”

Watch Mark Cavendish's stunning Stage 6 win as his Tour de France comeback story continues

To make Cavendish’s stage win even more special, it came in the same finish town as his very first victory at the Tour de France, and the 36-year-old revealed that made the moment even more special.

“It’s ten years since I last won here,” Cavendish said. “It’s pretty special, and in pretty similar fashion to then.

“Michael [Morkov] left the outside for me to go, but I wanted just a split second longer in the wheels before I went, so I had to switch trains and go from there.

“I’m so happy with that. You see the guys, how much they pulled there, the world champion Julian Alaphilippe just burying himself in the last kilometre, that’s something special from all the guys. I’m buzzing, you know.

“I’m very, very happy. If I’m good enough to win 50 more then I’m good enough to win 50. If I’m not good enough to ever win again here, so be it, I’m not good enough to ever win again. It’s the Tour de France.”

'Don't say the name!' - Mark Cavendish relishes stage win and refuses to mention Eddy Merckx record

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