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"Cycling's greatest ever sprinter": Reaction to Mark Cavendish's historic 35th Tour de France stage win; Illi Gardner smashes her own Alpe d'Huez Strava QOM; Speed limit reaction in popular park; Pogačar avoids near disaster + more on the live blog

It's sprint time at the Tour — can he? Will he? Won't he? Here for the Mark Cavendish live blog, sorry, the Wednesday road.cc live blog, is Dan Alexander...
Wed, Jul 03, 2024 09:12
15

SUMMARY

"Cycling's greatest ever sprinter": Reaction to Mark Cavendish's historic 35th Tour de France stage win; Illi Gardner smashes her own Alpe d'Huez Strava QOM; Speed limit reaction in popular park; Pogačar avoids near disaster + more on the live blogMark Cavendish wins stage five Tour de France 2024 (ITV)
03 July 2024, 18:01
I'll leave you with this...

See you all tomorrow, same time, same place — maybe even with stage win No. 36. Until then...

Mark Cavendish wins record 35th Tour de France stage, 2024 Tour de France, stage 5 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

 

03 July 2024, 17:42
"In the street they heard me screaming!": road.cc reader reaction
Mark Cavendish wins record 35th Tour de France stage, 2024 Tour de France, stage 5 (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

Geoff Ingram: "Absolutely delighted with Cav's win. Do not be surprised if my posts today reflect a few celebratory glasses."

Cayo: "I was geeing him on vocally as the sprint started and just feeling a little moisture in the eyes afterwards (must have left a window open somewhere for that dust to get in my eyes)."

jaymack: "I did not watch this; I was working. I did not watch this; I was working. I did not watch this; I was working*. An absolutely fantastic achievement, the man really is a legend.

*Some of the statments in this post may be untrue."

stonojnr: "I love it when a plan comes together"

Monsieur Michael: "Awesome achievement. Chapeau!" 

quiff: "Screaming and tears. Absolutely incredible to watch, just surfing the wheels. Chapeau Cav."

Flintshire Boy: "Same same. In the street they heard me screaming!"

03 July 2024, 17:34
Cavendish's family have front-row seat for history (+ sprinter's son gets a gift from Tadej Pogačar)

Daniel Friebe, ITV interviewer and Cycling Podcast host, had some words of his own for Cavendish's date with destiny.

Meanwhile, Cavendish's son was making a (very famous) friend.

03 July 2024, 17:30
🚨30 MINUTES UNTIL HIGHLIGHTS REMINDER🚨
03 July 2024, 17:22
Who needs a chain? Taking the record with his signature celebration

 The iconic celebration...

As cyclocross star Cameron Mason then explained: "Explanation — sprinting full gas at 60kph+ in 54x11. Rider stops pedalling abruptly and half pedals back to celebrate. Cassette's momentum keeping going and pops the chain off the big ring at the front. Happened multiple times to Cav in his career and to others."

03 July 2024, 16:55
"One Tour de France stage is enough to make a rider's career, 35 is enough to make a legend"

Mark Renshaw is a man with more contribution to the record than most, Cavendish's former lead-out master-turned-sports director heaping praise on his Astana riders post-stage. 

"The guys nailed that," he said. "To be honest, lost my voice already, I didn't really get to see the final, our TV wasn't working, it just flashed up during his victory salute and for probably five seconds we didn't know... amazing... he's just a fine wine, he just gets better and better. The team had so much confidence in him, we've had confidence all year."

03 July 2024, 16:38
"Everyone has a smile today, even Eddy Merckx": Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme reacts to Cav's win

Speaking to the ITV cameras, Christian Prudhomme said, "Everyone has a smile today, even Eddy Merckx".

"The best sprinter in the history of the Tour. He already was, but he is much more now. Just unbelievable. Nobody believed in him, everybody thought it was too late, but him. Today he won, it's just wonderful, a wondeful story."

Here's the moment Cav stepped onto the podium...

03 July 2024, 16:12
"Cycling's greatest ever sprinter": Reaction to Mark Cavendish's historic 35th Tour de France stage win

Anything happen at the Tour this afternoon? What are we going to talk about now?

The queue to congratulate the Manx Missile was seemingly in triple figures, rider after rider stopping to say 'well done' to the history maker, who now stands outright as the winner of the most Tour de France stages ever. One of the first was former teammate Geraint Thomas, someone whose career has overlapped and been intertwined with Cavendish's throughout, from the track and Great Britain through to Sky and THAT Giro sprint in Rome. The 2018 Tour champ told the TV cameras he never stopped believeing.

Another former teammate, Luke Rowe, was feeling like the rest of us... (either that or he sat on his phone)...

While former UCI president Brian Cookson wrote: "That. Was. Fantastic. Thank you
Mark Cavendish for everything you have brought to our sport."

In the post-stage interviews Tadej Pogačar, who was NINE when Cav won his first Tour stage, called the achievement "incredible", adding: "He came to me and said don't break the record but I don't think I can."

The brains behind Cavendish's resurgence, coach Vasilis Anastopoulos, was in tears: "You know it has been so many months of hard training with so many setbacks. We spent three months in Greece from 2 April, every day believing and every day training. We went to Turkey and it was like he was done, gone, he's not going to sprint but we kept believing. We brought him back to Greece and had some really good sessions and were optimistic but on the first day he had heat stroke so we thought we had done something wrong but he did it again.

"We had a plan and stuck to it. Everyone knew exactly what to do. We made a calculation on what pace to follow. He was super strong at the end. He was the old Cavendish."

There's plenty more reaction to come, we'll keep it rolling here on the live blog as it comes in...

03 July 2024, 15:49
Mark Cavendish makes history with record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win
Mark Cavendish breaks Eddy Merckx's record (ITV)

> Mark Cavendish makes history with record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win

03 July 2024, 14:39
Cav tinkering, Pog avoids near disaster, breakaway goes for a three-pointer — what's happened at the Tour today?

It's been quite a sleepy sprint stage for the most part, so not loads to write home about. With 50km to go it has just started to rain and things got a bit nervy when nobody signalled the upcoming traffic furniture and yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar was forced to take evasive action to avoid a crash. Unfortunately for those behind him, his evading and the ripple effect caused others to hit the deck. If only someone at the front had put their arm up and signalled the hazard

Pogacar avoids crash (ITV)

With wet roads and a full peloton ramping it up after an easy day, I don't think anyone will be surprised if that isn't the last crash today. Fingers crossed everyone gets around safe. We should get a sprint, which means another shot at number 35 for Cav and those who missed stage three rejoining the party. Will Alpecin-Deceuninck, Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen dominate? Can Girmay double up? Of course it wouldn't be a sprint stage without some last-minute tinkering from the Manx Missile. That one was stamped off the bingo card early today...

Cavendish tinkering (ITV)

 Perhaps the most entertaining thing to happen so far was Clément Russo going for three, but seeing his bottle agonisingly bounce back.

It's been that sort of day. Don't you worry though, there'll be more action in the next hour. That's a promise. 

03 July 2024, 14:22
Meanwhile in Oxford... blanket ban on cycling in public parks set to be reversed
Cycling signs (copyright Simon MacMichael) (17)

The Oxford Mail reports that laws imposing a blanket ban on cycling in Oxford's public parks are set to be reversed. Officers have recommended the reversal of the laws, councillor Chewe Munkoge saying that it's "high time" by-laws were "amended to reflect how our parks are enjoyed by everybody".

"The proposed changes are a long-overdue, positive step towards creating a more accessible, pragmatic and sensible framework for users to ensure a cleaner, safer environment within our city's green spaces," he said.

There has been agreement from Green councillor Emily Kerr who told the local paper that she thinks it "makes sense" as there are already cycling paths at some green spaces, but not others, so it would help if this access was "consistent across the city's parks".

She said: "Cycling in parks is always going to be slower than cycling on-road, so I don’t foresee fast and confident cyclists switching to parks. I imagine they'll be mostly used by children, novice cyclists, and those who are nervous of traffic."

Four areas, namely Hinksey Park, Lye Valley Nature Reserve and Trap Grounds Nature Reserve will retain the cycling ban following the responses to the consultation.

03 July 2024, 13:24
Cycling's latest tech innovation? Super glue, apparently: Biniam Girmay’s Intermarché-Wanty team using glue to get around UCI rule on helmet covers at Tour de France
Intermarché-Wanty, stage 3, 2024 Tour de France (Zac Williams/SWpix.com)

> Cycling's latest tech innovation? Super glue, apparently: Biniam Girmay's Intermarché-Wanty team using glue to get around UCI rule on helmet covers at Tour de France

03 July 2024, 11:45
Lidl-Trek commit heinous crime against the nation of Italy
03 July 2024, 11:14
Tour de France bikes vs the bikes you can buy in the shops — are they actually the same?
Tour de France bike vs what you can buy lead

> Tour de France bikes vs the bikes you can buy in the shops — are they actually the same?

03 July 2024, 11:21
"The biggest risk to road safety in Richmond Park by far, is that posed by motorists": Reaction to disagreement over speed limit advice in Richmond Park
Richmond Park time trial (London Dynamo CC)

Yesterday we reported that a group which aims to "represent all cyclists and para-cyclists who use Richmond Park" is in disagreement with the Royal Parks over advice to cyclists about speed limits in the south-west London park.

Last month, the Royal Parks said it would be reviewing its cycling policy "following several cycling-related incidents" and cyclists riding "at excessive speeds" causing crashes. The charity also cancelled cycling club London Dynamo's time trial events on safety grounds as "they directly encourage cyclists to go faster than speed limit", although curiously the London Duathlon in September (half of which involves a closed-road bike event) has not been called off.

In response a reader who regularly rides in Richmond Park told us: "The biggest risk to road safety in Richmond Park by far, is that posed by motorists. In this clip, I was riding two abreast. It wasn't busy, we weren't holding up queues and queues of cars, it was a quiet evening, but this Audi driver seemed to take offence, and can be seen swerving toward me, far in excess of the prescribed 20mph speed limit. Leaving me somewhat shocked and shaken.

"…And we're told by the Royal Parks, that an early morning cycle time trial event, has been banned due to safety fears. The best way to tackle safety in the park, is to look at banning motorists. Time and time again, and given plenty of chances to get it right, there are some that still try and hound cyclists out of the park. I know it's a minority, but that minority is spoiling it for the many careful drivers that always get a friendly wave or ping of the bell.

"The Royal Parks has yet to provide a solution for this, or indeed do anything, but ban a London Dynamo event. They are one of the most respected clubs in the park, and their leadership take safety and their reputation very seriously. It's all a bit bizarre, and just shows the Royal Parks have some sort of hidden pro-motoring agenda, that they don't hide very well."

Thoughts? Anyone else local got any reaction to yesterday's news?

03 July 2024, 10:59
03 July 2024, 10:45
Tour de France stage four — a meme experience

Juan Ayuso has been on the receiving end of the internet's memes post-stage four. The Spaniard for his amusing inability to come to the front and give João Almeida a turn, presumably because he was on the limit, but not so on the limit he couldn't sit with the fastest riders for another few kilometres. It gave us all a laugh, even if Almeida unsurprisingly didn't see the funny side as he flogged himself into a headwind up the Galibier. Cue the memes...

Visma-Lease a Bike took some hits too, after all if you make a big song and dance about how your 'Control Room' is going to take your tactical analysis to the next level, you're probably going to take some stick if all your domestiques get dropped and Tadej Pogačar takes loads of seconds on Jonas Vingegaard.

No idea what Visma did to annoy the person running the NairoInGreen account, but boy were they swinging yesterday...

Time will tell who gets the last laugh on that front, Vingegaard apparently very pleased post-stage, telling the TV cameras: "My time will come." After seeing how far he's come since that Itzulia crash just THREE MONTHS AGO, we're not going to argue...

03 July 2024, 09:54
Illi Gardner knocks a minute off her own Alpe d'Huez Strava QOM with mind-boggling effort quicker than Tour de France times

There was an outrageously impressive climbing performance in the French Alps yesterday, a famous climb tamed in a lung-busting, quad-burning display of mountain mastery. Step forward Illi Gardner (okay, Tadej Pogačar, you were all right too).

The hill-climbing queen of Britain, who has been the national champ in the discipline for the past two years, has a Strava page that'll impress anyone... it seems just about every day there's another new climb QOM being conquered. In fact, wait for this, Strava says she has 531 pages of QOMs and CRs ('course records', when she's sometimes inevitably quicker than the men too). With each one displaying 20 that makes more than 10,500 QOMs and CRs. See, I told you it was impressive...

And in the past days she's been down in the Alps, ticking off some big names: Alpe d'Huez, Col de la Madeleine, Col du Galibier. Yep, not content with smashing the Alpe d'Huez QOM out of the park last week, she returned last night to knock another minute off her previous effort.

 

Gardner's 46:47 is a second shy of three minutes quicker than Emma Pooley's long-standing QOM set way back in 2012, and the 34th fastest time (male or female) ever uploaded to Strava up the famous mountain so regularly raced by the Tour de France and the world's best. 

Illi Gardner Alpe d'Huez Strava

She averaged 243w for the 46-minute effort and held an unslipstreamed average speed of 17.8km/h up the Alpe's eight per cent slopes. Gardner's heart rate monitor shows it was at 186bpm and topped out at 199bpm. Ouch, that's a proper effort. 

Now you've read all about it, get back up to that activity and drop some well-earned kudos...

03 July 2024, 08:45
Continental, DT Swiss and Swiss Side team up to create the Continental Aero 111, the 'world’s first aerodynamic tyre': here are our first ride impressions
Continental Aero 111 pic 1.JPG

> Continental, DT Swiss and Swiss Side team up to create the Continental Aero 111, the 'world’s first aerodynamic tyre': here are our first ride impressions

03 July 2024, 07:53
"A simple gesture can inspire the next generation": British Tour de France pro gifts ecstatic young fan water bottle in heartwarming video

"A simple gesture that can inspire the next generation..."

Here's the moment a Team dsm-firmenich Post NL rider made a young Tour de France spectator's day/week/month. The little number flag behind his Scott tells us the rider deserving all the praise is British debutant Oscar Onley who had tried to get into the morning's breakaway before later finishing 42nd on yesterday's high-altitude Galibier stage as Tadej Pogačar performed another masterclass up front.

It's been the Tour of uplifting 'kids getting bottles' content, Tadej Pogačar having invited a young fan to the start in Florence who he famously passed a bottle too during the Giro, a video of which got plenty of attention at the time...

We're all for it frankly. Better that than it getting lobbed into a bush or a ravine...

Obviously we can't move on without mentioning the Tour of Britain's contribution to the genre, that clip that was seen around the world of a young cyclist smashing it along the pavement to keep up with pros, rewarded with a bottle, of course.

> 12-year-old cyclist who 'beat the pros' at Tour of Britain handed team contract alongside Phil Gaimon 

Keep calling for bottles, kids... just leave some for us big kids...

Dan Alexander

Dan is the road.cc news editor and has spent the past four years writing stories and features, as well as (hopefully) keeping you entertained on the live blog. Having previously written about nearly every other sport under the sun for the Express, and the weird and wonderful world of non-league football for the Non-League Paper, Dan joined road.cc in 2020. Come the weekend you'll find him labouring up a hill, probably with a mouth full of jelly babies, or making a bonk-induced trip to a south of England petrol station... in search of more jelly babies.

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15 comments

Avatar
Geoff Ingram | 2 days ago
1 like

Absolutely delighted with Cav's win. Do not be surprised if my posts today reflect a few celebratory glasses.

Avatar
Cayo | 2 days ago
1 like

I was geeing him on vocally as the sprint started and just feeling a little moisture in the eyes afterwards (must have left a window open somewhere for that dust to get in my eyes).

For me, it's been a massive turnaround - when he first arrived on the scene, he came across as an arrogant, rude and bad-tempered oik I had no time for, but over time (and undoubtedly after he met Peta), he mellowed gradually into a thoughtful, respectful (and sometimes still bad tempered!) student of the sport who does himself and that sport massive credit. And the queue of riders waiting to congratulate him said it all.

Vinakourov may be a disgrace as an athlete but thank goodness his powers of persuasion and faith in his rider are so good.

Roll on 36!

Avatar
mark1a | 2 days ago
7 likes

What an excellent finish to today's stage. 

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to mark1a | 2 days ago
2 likes

mark1a wrote:

What an excellent finish to today's stage. 

Somewhat pleasing, one must admit.

Avatar
mdavidford replied to Rendel Harris | 2 days ago
4 likes

What a way to do it - that was a freaking masterclass!

Avatar
Rendel Harris replied to mdavidford | 2 days ago
4 likes

mdavidford wrote:

What a way to do it - that was a freaking masterclass!

Could not have been better, could it? No lucky breaks, no crashes, just unadulterated power and class.

Avatar
quiff replied to mdavidford | 2 days ago
3 likes

My head told me it probably wouldn't happen, but then with 1k to go you could just see it panning out. Absolutely classic Cav.

Avatar
Miller | 2 days ago
2 likes

WOOO HOOOO !!!!!

Avatar
delthebike | 2 days ago
2 likes

What? No pineapple! 

Avatar
IanMK | 2 days ago
3 likes

Won't somebody think of the poor drivers. Bloody tories blocking the road with their Maccies breakfast.

Avatar
brooksby | 2 days ago
5 likes

Has anyone else started getting a browser pop-up saying that the comment editing box isn't secure?  I've been getting this the first time I log into road.cc and make a comment, for about a day or so.

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mdavidford replied to brooksby | 2 days ago
0 likes

Just the once - yesterday, I think. But that may have been the only time I had to log in in the last week or so.

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Bungle_52 replied to brooksby | 2 days ago
0 likes

Yes! What does it mean?

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chrisonabike replied to Bungle_52 | 2 days ago
1 like

Pretty much as it says.  CKE is well-used software - some time back they came out with v.5 which was "better" but also require you to start paying for commercial use...

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hawkinspeter replied to brooksby | 2 days ago
5 likes

brooksby wrote:

Has anyone else started getting a browser pop-up saying that the comment editing box isn't secure?  I've been getting this the first time I log into road.cc and make a comment, for about a day or so.

I think that message is from the CKEditor 4 component itself. Version 4 is end-of-life and won't receive any more security updates, so Road.cc should be looking at moving to version 5 to avoid us seeing that message.

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