Cavendish wins sprint on stage 10 and approaches Merckx record

Published on : 06/07/2021 – 17:39Modified : 06/07/2021 – 17:45

After a daunting 9th stage and a well-deserved rest day, the Tour de France peloton resumed the road, Tuesday July 6, between Albertville and Valence. Without surprises, this plain stage found its winner among the “big thighs”. Taken in a chair by his Deceunick-Quickstep teammates, Mark Cavendish beat his competitors Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen. He reinforces his green jersey in passing.

Cavendish won for the 33rd time in the Tour, the third this year. He is only one length behind the record for 34 stage victories for Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, acquired between 1969 and 1975. Four massive sprints are still possible in this Tour for the native of the Isle of Man. can match or exceed Merckx. The next meeting is set for Thursday in Nîmes.

The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE) kept the yellow jersey the day after the rest day in the Alps and on the eve of the double ascent of Mont Ventoux.

Several attempts at edging

In this 190.7 kilometer long stage, a duo that left shortly after the start, the Belgian Tosh van der Sande and the Canadian Hugo Houle, opened the road until the last hour of the race. His lead, usually less than two minutes, was checked by the Cavendish team before Houle continued the effort until 36 kilometers from the finish.

In the final, the peloton was several times in single file, under the effect of the side wind and the battering of several formations (Deceuninck, Bora). He ended up breaking before the last 10 kilometers to let the sprinters explain themselves. Pogacar, trapped for a moment, easily returned to the front during one of the running moves.

On Wednesday, the 11th stage starts from Sorgues (Vaucluse) and climbs the Mont Ventoux twice, the first time by Sault on the side, a second time by the classic climb from Bédoin on the southern slope. But the finish is judged this time in Malaucène, at the bottom of the 22 kilometer descent.

With AFP