Breakaway denies Cavendish a chance to equal Tour de France stage record in Nîmes

Mark Cavendish of Deceuninck-QuickStep in Green Points Jersey at start of stage 12
Mark Cavendish of Deceuninck-QuickStep in Green Points Jersey at start of stage 12 (Image credit: Getty Images)

In the end, Mark Cavendish won the Tour de France bunch sprint on the Avenue Allende in Nîmes but the prize was an extra brace of points towards his green jersey rather than a record-equalling 34th stage victory.

A breakaway of 13 riders had already fought out stage honours a quarter of an hour before Cavendish reached Nîmes but the Manxman evinced no disappointment at a sprint opportunity passing him by. High speeds, exposed terrain and heavy roads meant that stage 12 was always likely to lean towards the escapees, and so it proved.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.