Mark Cavendish exclusive: The Tour de France 'is my life' but all-time stage record is 'irrelevant'

Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) may be one victory away from claiming the outright record of Tour de France stage wins, but the 38-year-old insists it is “irrelevant” as he gears up for his swansong at cycling’s biggest race. Cavendish is tied with Belgian great Eddy Merckx on 34 stage wins after an astonishing career, which will come to a close later in 2023. Ad He made a stunning return to form at the Giro d’Italia, when he survived the mountains to win the final stage in Rome after a surprise helping hand from Ineos' Geraint Thomas.

Tour de FranceGilbert: Froome 'had his chances and it’s over' but Cavendish can break Merckx record27/06/2023 AT 19:08 However with sprint stars Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck), Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal–Quick-Step) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) among those descending on France, Cavendish faces a bigger ask to land an historic No. 35. Speaking exclusively to Eurosport for new documentary Mark Cavendish: All In, the Manx Missile said the record was not on his mind ahead of the Tour, which begins in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday.

“It wasn’t a thing! It was never a thing!” Cavendish told Eurosport’s Orla Chennaoui. Pressed on whether it became a “thing” due to his hot streak – he won 20 stages at the Tour between 2008 and 2011 – Cavendish continued: “I can’t answer because I’m not making it up when I say it’s irrelevant. “I just want to win as much as I can win.

And if I can never win again at the Tour de France… “There are two people in the world [Cavendish and Merckx] that are more qualified than anybody else to tell you how hard it is to win a Tour de France stage. That’s why if I don’t win one, I’ve won 34, I’m alright. But if I can win 10 more I will be buzzing because I know how