TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD DENIED FOR MARK CAVENDISH

The news came on the same weekend that he won a 2nd British national championship – despite coming so close to breaking Eddy Merckx’s stage win record at the Tour de France last year, the Quick-Step team has decided to keep Mark Cavendish at home this July.

Last year Mark Cavendish came up one stage short from beating Eddy Merckx’s oft-thought-untouchable legacy of 34 Tour stage wins. While the “Manx Missile” seemed to play off just how serious his intent was to return in 2022 to etch his name in the history books above that of the Belgian great; in the end, the decision came down to Quick-Step team director Patrick Lefevere. Despite two early-season stage wins proving that he still has the legs, Cavendish found  himself in a stiff internecine rivalry with teammate Fabio Jakobsen to be the recipient of Lefevere’s nod.

Photos: Bettini