Mark Cavendish won the sprint at Montargis yesterday showing that he is is a true champion. Having in his words screwed up the day before at Reims, Mark put that behind him and won by at least two bike lengths thanks to a brilliant ride by his lead out man Mark Renshaw. Replays of the last kilometre shows Renshaw choosing a fine line through the tight final corner and then waiting for a gap to appear in the Garmin lead out train. When it duly appeared Renshaw seizes his moment and delivers Cavendish perfectly to the spot where he can accelerate away to win.
Yesterday's victory takes Mark's tally of Tour stage victories to 11 and now puts him into the top twenty list of all time stage winners – already a remarkable achievement making him easily the most successful UK rider of the Tour ever with three more victories than Barry Hoban, who previously held the UK record for the most stages.
Cavendish has won more stages victories than many famous cyclists including Sean Kelly, Fausto Coppi, Jan Raas, Marco Pantani and Lucien van Impe.
List of all time stage victories:
The top 12:
34: Eddy Merckx (Bel)
28: Bernard Hinault (Fra)
25: André Leducq (Fra)
22: André Darrigade (Fra) (sprinter)
22: Lance Armstrong (USA)
20: Nicolas Frantz (Lux)
19: Francois Faber,( Lux)
17: Jean Alavoine, (Fra)
16: Jacques Anquetil (Fra)
16: Charles Pelissier, (Fra)
16: Rene Le Greves, (Fra)
16: Freddy Maertens, (Bel)
Others– selected names
13: Philippe Thys (Bel)
12: Mario Cipollini (It)
12: Miguel Indurain (Esp)
12: Robbie McEwen (Aus)
12: Erik Zabel (GER)
11: Jean Aerts (Bel)
11: Louison Bobet (Fr)
11: Mark Cavendish (UK)
10: Charly Gaul (Fr)
10: Walter Godefroot (Bel)
10: Gerrie Knetemann (Hol)
10: Antonin Magne (Fr)
10: Jan Raas (Hol)
10: Joop Zoetemelk (Hol)
9: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (Uzb)
9: Gino Bartali (It)
9: Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita)
9: Fausto Coppi (It)
9: Thor Hushovd (Nor)
9: Lucien van Impe (Bel)
9: Sylvère Maes (Bel)
9: Eloi Meulenberg (Bel)
9: Luis Ocaña (Esp)
9: Georges Speicher (Fr)
8: Rudi Altig (Ger)
8: Barry Hoban (UK)
8: Ferdinand (Ferdi)Kübler (Hev)
8: Marco Pantani (It)
7: Federico Bahamontes (Sp)
7: Laurent Fignon (Fr)
7: Raphaël Géminiani (Fr)
7: Jan Janssen (Hol)
7: Lucien Petit-Breton (Fr)
7: Raymond Poulidor (Fr)
7: Jan Ullrich (Ger)
7: Richard Virenque (Fr)
6: Tom Boonen (Bel)
6: Felice Gimondi (It)
6: Firmin Lambot (Bel)
6: Greg Lemond (US)
6: Rik van Looy (Bel)
6: Thierry Marie (Fr)
6: Alessandro Petacchi (It)
6: Jean Robic (Fr)
5: Phil Anderson (Aus)
5: Fabien Cancellara (Hel)
5: Sean Kelly (Irl)
5: Hugo Koblet (Swi)
5: Julio Jiménez (Esp)
5: Herman van Springel (Bel)
5: Jean Stablinski (Fr)
4: Gianni Bugno (It)
4: Alberto Contador (Esp)
4: Pedro Delgado (Esp)
4: Óscar Freire (Esp)
4: Laurent Jalabert (Fr)
4: Dimitri Konyshev (Rus)
4: Rik Van Linden (Bel)
4: Charly Mottet (Fr)
4: Gastone Nencini (It)
4: Michael Rasmussen (Den)
4: Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel)
3: Chris Boardman (UK)
3: Claudio Chiappucci (It)
3: Maurice Garin (Fr)
3: Luis Herrera (Col)
3: Hennie Kuiper (Hol)
3: David Millar (UK)
3: Robert Millar (UK)
3: Stan Ockers (Bel)
3: Stephen Roche (Irl)
3: Tony Rominger (Den)
3: Alexander Vinokourov (Rus)
2: Phil Anderson (Aus)
2: Moreno Argentin (It)
2: Alfredo Binda (It)
2: Sergei Ivanov (Rus)
2: Luc Leblanc (Fr)
2: Bradley McGee (Aus)
2: Johan Museeuw (Bel)
2: Stuart O'Grady (Aus)
2: Eddy Planckaert (Bel)
2: Willy Planckaert (Bel)
2: Bjarne Riis (Den)
2: Brian Robinson (UK)
2: Steven Rooks (Hol)
2: Frank Schleck (Lux)
1: Cadel Evans (Aus)
1: Sean Yates (UK)
34: Eddy Merckx (Bel)
28: Bernard Hinault (Fra)
25: André Leducq (Fra)
22: André Darrigade (Fra) (sprinter)
22: Lance Armstrong (USA)
20: Nicolas Frantz (Lux)
19: Francois Faber,( Lux)
17: Jean Alavoine, (Fra)
16: Jacques Anquetil (Fra)
16: Charles Pelissier, (Fra)
16: Rene Le Greves, (Fra)
16: Freddy Maertens, (Bel)
Others– selected names
13: Philippe Thys (Bel)
12: Mario Cipollini (It)
12: Miguel Indurain (Esp)
12: Robbie McEwen (Aus)
12: Erik Zabel (GER)
11: Jean Aerts (Bel)
11: Louison Bobet (Fr)
11: Mark Cavendish (UK)
10: Charly Gaul (Fr)
10: Walter Godefroot (Bel)
10: Gerrie Knetemann (Hol)
10: Antonin Magne (Fr)
10: Jan Raas (Hol)
10: Joop Zoetemelk (Hol)
9: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (Uzb)
9: Gino Bartali (It)
9: Ottavio Bottecchia (Ita)
9: Fausto Coppi (It)
9: Thor Hushovd (Nor)
9: Lucien van Impe (Bel)
9: Sylvère Maes (Bel)
9: Eloi Meulenberg (Bel)
9: Luis Ocaña (Esp)
9: Georges Speicher (Fr)
8: Rudi Altig (Ger)
8: Barry Hoban (UK)
8: Ferdinand (Ferdi)Kübler (Hev)
8: Marco Pantani (It)
7: Federico Bahamontes (Sp)
7: Laurent Fignon (Fr)
7: Raphaël Géminiani (Fr)
7: Jan Janssen (Hol)
7: Lucien Petit-Breton (Fr)
7: Raymond Poulidor (Fr)
7: Jan Ullrich (Ger)
7: Richard Virenque (Fr)
6: Tom Boonen (Bel)
6: Felice Gimondi (It)
6: Firmin Lambot (Bel)
6: Greg Lemond (US)
6: Rik van Looy (Bel)
6: Thierry Marie (Fr)
6: Alessandro Petacchi (It)
6: Jean Robic (Fr)
5: Phil Anderson (Aus)
5: Fabien Cancellara (Hel)
5: Sean Kelly (Irl)
5: Hugo Koblet (Swi)
5: Julio Jiménez (Esp)
5: Herman van Springel (Bel)
5: Jean Stablinski (Fr)
4: Gianni Bugno (It)
4: Alberto Contador (Esp)
4: Pedro Delgado (Esp)
4: Óscar Freire (Esp)
4: Laurent Jalabert (Fr)
4: Dimitri Konyshev (Rus)
4: Rik Van Linden (Bel)
4: Charly Mottet (Fr)
4: Gastone Nencini (It)
4: Michael Rasmussen (Den)
4: Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel)
3: Chris Boardman (UK)
3: Claudio Chiappucci (It)
3: Maurice Garin (Fr)
3: Luis Herrera (Col)
3: Hennie Kuiper (Hol)
3: David Millar (UK)
3: Robert Millar (UK)
3: Stan Ockers (Bel)
3: Stephen Roche (Irl)
3: Tony Rominger (Den)
3: Alexander Vinokourov (Rus)
2: Phil Anderson (Aus)
2: Moreno Argentin (It)
2: Alfredo Binda (It)
2: Sergei Ivanov (Rus)
2: Luc Leblanc (Fr)
2: Bradley McGee (Aus)
2: Johan Museeuw (Bel)
2: Stuart O'Grady (Aus)
2: Eddy Planckaert (Bel)
2: Willy Planckaert (Bel)
2: Bjarne Riis (Den)
2: Brian Robinson (UK)
2: Steven Rooks (Hol)
2: Frank Schleck (Lux)
1: Cadel Evans (Aus)
1: Sean Yates (UK)
