A cocktail of emotions for record-holder Cavendish: Moved, overjoyed and a bit better

Mark Cavendish made Tour history on Wednesday. The British sprinter was the fastest in the fifth stage and is now the rider with the most ever stage wins in the Tour de France: 35. Until Wednesday afternoon, he shared the record with cycling legend Eddy Merckx. "I’m in disbelief," said the sprinter, nicknamed 'The Manx Missile', in the flash interview.

"Astana took a big gamble this year to win a stage here with me. It's a gamble that my boss, Alexander Vinokourov, took," continued Cavendish. "He is a former rider and knows what the Tour de France means. He knows you have to go all-in, and that's what we did. We executed exactly what we wanted, both in terms of the selection and the equipment. Every little detail was dialed in, especially for today’s stage," said Cavendish, who was then interrupted by an ecstatic Vinokourov giving him a hug.

"You can see what it means to people," Cavendish continued, addressing the joy of his boss. "It's not necessarily about the records. The Tour de France is just bigger than cycling." Cavendish's victory is particularly special because he was suffering heavily at the back of the pack during the opening weekend. According to the sprinter, that didn’t mean much. "It's the first day of the Tour de France. I always need a bit of time to get into the rhythm."

"But I know how it works, just like my coach," Cavendish continued in a slightly sharper tone. "If everyone knew, then they’d all be cyclists. My job would be much harder. It's my fifteenth Tour. I don't like bad days and, of course, I don't want to suffer. However, it's a mental issue. You have to keep pushing through, and eventually, you get a chance. And then that can work out in your favor." Although his teammates kept Cavendish well-positioned in the finale, the sprint setup didn’t go entirely according to plan. "The guys improvised and got me in the best possible position. I then latched onto the first sprint train I saw and won," concluded a radiant Cavendish.

Cavendish makes history (and gets a little vindicated too) 

After various hugs, handshakes and more embraces, Cavendish attended the press conference, where IDLProCycling.com was also present. There, King Cav emphasized his gratitude toward his Astana teammates. "The way they dedicated themselves to me means much more than how I felt. It’s also the Tour de France. You never really feel at your best or freshest. Many guys in the peloton will confirm that. If you know what your mission is and what you need to do for it, you can go very far. In my head, it’s just a matter of pushing on, pushing on, and pushing on. Staying calm and trusting your helpers is also crucial. There’s not much more you can do."

"I saw the Alpecin-Deceuninck train coming. They often have a strong lead-out. They still had many riders up there," Cavendish continued, specifically about the sprint. "That’s why I decided to focus a bit on them. It feels so good that the past few weeks, filled with long and tough training sessions, have paid off. I’ve been away from home for so long to realize this dream. When it works out, it’s simply fantastic. My wife and kids were there, making it extra special. Your family is by far the most important thing. Any father will agree with that, I think. What’s the point of pursuing goals if you don’t have anyone close to you to share the moments with?"

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When Cavendish was "confronted" with the fact that his last stage win in La Grande Boucle was in 2021 and was asked about the long road to this new victory, he became a bit irritated. "Whoa, whoa! That’s not the way to look at it. In 2022, I was flying, but I wasn’t selected. Last year, I was good too, but I dropped out due to a crash. So, three years since a last stage win isn’t quite right, in my opinion."

We’re only on the fifth day of the Tour. That means there are still about two and a half weeks of racing ahead of us. Can we expect more fireworks from the nearly forty-year-old? "First, I’m going to enjoy this thoroughly. After that, I want to focus on new success again because, at its core, that's what I'm paid for. I love the Tour. It’s always been that way. I love the race when I participate and also when I watch it on TV. I will always give my full 100 percent here. So, I will definitely continue that in the coming weeks. That’s one thing for sure."

Renshaw: "That's the dedication you need as a rider"

Mark Renshaw, the former rider who launched Cavendish to many victories and now serves as the coach of the sprint train at Astana, was understandably happy and satisfied with his riders' performance. "The guys did perfectly in the finale. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really see the finale. I only saw a replay just now. It’s insane. He’s like fine wine. He only gets better. The team has so much confidence in him. They’ve built the team around him so he could win. He was so dedicated. I don't know how many days he was with his family, but it wasn’t many. That’s the dedication you need as a rider."

Then there was team boss Vinokourov. After Cavendish literally crashed out of the Tour last season, he gave him another chance. "I told him in Paris: ‘if you want to continue for another year, I can have a contract ready for you tomorrow.’ He’s such a good rider, he shouldn’t end his Tour career like that. He had to try until Paris, now Nice. If it worked out, great, and if not, at least he wouldn’t regret it. He worked very hard, and now he has succeeded."