San Francisco Frontiers - Cavendish makes Tour de France history with 35th stage win

Briton Cavendish beat Eddy Merckx's mark, which had stood since 1975, on the fifth stage of this year's Tour near the Alps having equalled it in 2021.

As the peloton swept through the lush Rhone valley with vineyards and pretty villages skirting the river his Astana team hogged the front right of the peloton as light rain fell.

A long home straight helped them form a lead out train the 'Manx Missile' mastered as he powered across the finish line well ahead of Belgian Jasper Philipsen, last year's sprint points green jersey winner.

In 2023 Cavendish left the Tour in an ambulance after a banal crash bamboozled his plans.

Two seasons previously when Cavendish equalled Merckx's stage haul in Carcassonne, it was his fourth win on that edition racing for Quick Step after years in the wilderness suffering from Epstein Barr virus.

He missed out on a 35th stage on the Champs Elysees coming second and then missed the cut for the 2022 Tour as Quick Step picked Fabio Jakobsen 10 years his junior.

Cavendish joined Astana in 2023 before being persuaded to sign a one-year contract extension for this season.

Two-time former winner Tadej Pogacar still leads the overall standings which he enjoyed with a full yellow kit while Belgian Remco Evenepoel remains second at 45sec with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard third at 50sec.

B.Turner--SFF