Earlier than July 3, 2024, the legendary bicycle owner Eddy Merckx held the Tour de France stage win report for an astonishing 48 years. On that day, 39-year-old Briton Mark Cavendish raised his arms in victory after a chaotic dash to finish the 110-mile stage from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas. This thirty fifth win vaulted Cavendish to a pedestal all his personal.
Cavendish’s 19-year profession is stuffed with memorable highlights. No present rider has extra skilled race wins. By an distinctive combination of genetics, health, aerodynamics, and race craft, the sight of Cavendish, arms up, crossing the end line forward of the best cyclists on earth, turned commonplace.
“Challenge 35” chronicles the story behind Cavendish’s record-breaking stage win within the 2024 Tour de France. Be taught what it takes from Cavendish, fellow riders, and the Astana-Qazaqstan staff workers, who 100% supported the monumental effort to say one of the vital cherished information in biking. Every thing is on show: triumphs, tragedies, tears, and pleasure. It’s fairly a trip.
Sickness, Melancholy, and the Finish of a Profession?
Though Cavendish downplays his need to interrupt Merckx’s long-standing Tour de France stage win report, its enormity appeared to nearly derail his profession at occasions. His story reads like an award-winning dramatic film. Cavendish overtly battled sickness and melancholy, which resulted in plummeting outcomes and eventual ejection from the professional ranks.
He was employed for the 2021 and 2022 seasons by a staff for which he rode prior, Deceuninck-Fast-Step. Remarkably, the staff didn’t pay him a wage for what was basically a lifeline. And, dramatically, Cavendish returned the favor by successful 4 levels and the sprinter’s inexperienced jersey within the 2021 Tour de France. This introduced his win tally to 34, one win behind Merckx.
Extra drama ensued as Cavendish was left off the 2022 Tour de France roster, and he came upon about it by social media. Extending his profession to vie for the stage win report appeared unlikely, with youthful sprinters seemingly displacing the growing older famous person. Out of contract on the finish of the season, it once more appeared just like the curtain would shut for Cavendish.
Cavendish didn’t hand over; he seemingly secured a spot on a smaller French staff. However because the 2023 season approached, the staff folded. Once more, it appeared just like the solar would set on the “Manx Missile’s” already legendary profession.
Enter Astana-Qazaqstan
On the final minute, the Astana-Qazaqstan introduced Cavendish aboard for the 2023 season with the objective of accomplishing win #35 within the Tour de France. Once more, he was denied what he said could be his final Tour de France. A contact of wheels 37 miles from the end of stage 8 cruelly put Cavendish to the bottom. He deserted the race with a damaged collarbone. “Cav” was lastly going to retire. Or was he?
True to kind, Cavendish introduced on the very finish of the 2023 season that he would delay retirement to race in 2024 with Astana-Qazaqstan.
And the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past.
Watch “Challenge 35” to witness the story from behind the scenes.
