Mark Cavendish battles time in bid for Eddy Merckx’s Tour stage wins record | Richard Williams
16 July 2018 01:26
The signs have not been promising for one of the most remarkable British sporting figures of our life as he misses out for another year in his pursuit of the legendary BelgianAs he made it to the finish line in Roubaix on Sunday, the 52nd rider to come home on a day of bone-rattling cobbles and throat-clogging dust, Mark Cavendish would have been looking forward to a rest day. The first week of the 2018 Tour de France was harsh on a man who, chasing the all-time record of stage wins, had started the season with a series of bad crashes. The signs have not been promising for one of the most remarkable British sporting figures of our lifetime.The four victories that would bring him level with Eddy Merckx’s 34 are now out of reach for this year, at least. After a 500-mile transfer to the first rest day in Annecy, three days in the high mountains come before his next chance of a win, at the end of Friday’s flat stage from Bourg d’Oisans to Valence. Two more opportunities then present themselves, in Pau on stage 18 and in Paris on the final day. Related: Mark Cavendish: ‘I’m not scared but I think of the consequences more’ Continue readingread full article
