A race like no other, already producing some incredibly breath-taking stages and leaving spectators speechless, including an opening stage with a spectator obliterating Tony Martin.
The Tour de France is an annual 21-stage day race (although 1930 was the first year for this number of stages), carried out over 23 days, originating as a ‘men’s’ race and (on and off) having a women’s race as well. It’s a race targeted by the best of the best cyclists in the biggest teams, including lean mean climbing machines and muscle glazed sprinters, who spend their time hiding in the bunch on the climbing stages. It’s primarily held In France with occasional forays into nearby countries.
The first Tour de France took place in 1903, consisting of only six stages and was won by the Frenchman Maurice Garin. It’s grown in numbers and blossomed into a world class race, recognised by riders and spectators internationally and growing in length, difficulty, and competitiveness for many years. In short, it’s the greatest spectacle in sport.
The 2021 tour is the 108th edition, travelling through nine regions, covering 3,414.4km in total, starting in Brest and ending on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, and is said to be ‘the’ hardest tour seen to date.
But the real question is, will Mark Cavendish (aka Cav) take the record off Merckx’s for most wins in his career?
Many thought Cav’s career was over some time ago because of injuries he has suffered, changing teams and missing out on opportunities to prove that he still had his unbeatable sprint in the tank. Spectators and pundits began saying that his bigshot career was coming to an end…
But Deceuninck-Quick Step re-signed him this year: they were sure it was the right idea, they never lost faith in him.
Not expected to attend the Tour de France 2021, let alone as the team’s sprinter, but being called up last minute due to a team-mate’s injuries, meant there was a lot of last-minute pressure and preparation. He had not been training with his lead out train, which is the most obvious disadvantage. But boy, did Cav arrive in the tour with a vengeance and prove that he was back.
Deceuninck-Quick Step have always had the strongest lead out train in the peloton, hunting as a pack with each rider having the exact knowledge they need about how and where they should be playing their part to lead Cav up to the line.
Cav has taken three stage wins so far, something that wasn’t expected by anyone – maybe not even himself. It means he now has a whopping 33 stage wins in his career, only one behind Eddie Merckx, and needs only two more to take the title as the winningest winner of all time.
His first win on stage four being the most emotional and spectacular, a fairy tale writing itself, a vision not many thought we’d have the privilege to witness again. The pure joy and passion in Cav as he took that win, his team working as if they were synchronised robots to get him to the line first, and the tearful celebrations afterwards brought a warm glow to every single one of Cav’s fans, his family, his teammates and his Deceuninck-Quick Step management – the people who never gave up hope.
Cav, then full of confidence and remembering the joy of winning, went onto take two more stage wins while continuing to surprise and impress everyone involved in the sport. Not only has he managed to take these wins, but he has also held onto the green jersey and climbed like a mountain goat. An all-round, explosive talent sent from the gods? No – just a guy waiting to be given the chance to prove his team’s faith in him was justified. A true gentleman, and a giant of our sport.
With a few more ‘flatter’ stages left, I think he can do it. Do you?
Ride bikes, eat cake, be happy :)
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