A final picture to end this historic day. Thanks for reading everyone and huge congratulations to Mark Cavendish. We’ll be back for stage 14 tomorrow.
A tweet from Cavendish back on June 24.
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) June 24, 2021
Chapeau, yet again, to Michael Morkov - Cav’s lead-out man.
What a guy 🤗#TDF2021
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) July 9, 2021
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/SJaRM2LkaG
Some context on Cavendish: Cav now has 34 stage wins. On the list of active riders, Peter Sagan is next best with 12 while Andre Greipel has 11.
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Another cuddly toy for Cav’s kids.
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Green jersey: Cavendish (279pts) now has a hefty 101-point lead over Michael Matthews (178pts).
Today was all about Mark Cavendish but here’s the overall GC. Nothing changed after stage 13.
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 52hr 27min 12sec
- Rigoberto Uran (EF Education–Nippo) +5min 18sec
- Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) +5min 32sec
- Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) +5min 33sec
- Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citreon) +5min 58sec
More from an exhausted but delighted Cav. Here’s his response to being asked about the record. He’s finding it hard to process.
I haven’t realised it. It’s still just another win on the Tour de France. It’s like my first one. I’ve won a stage of the Tour de France. It’s what I dreamed of as a kid and it’s what I dream of now.
I’ve worked so hard for it. We’ve seen such a growth, especially in the UK, of cycling since I’ve started racing here at the Tour de France.
If anyone of my wins can inspire the kids to ride the Tour de France or the Tour de France Femmes from next year when they grow up, that’s what means the most to me I think.
Cavendish moves level with Merckx! The Belgian, a five-time overall winner of the Tour, took the last of his stage wins in 1975.
🐐 CAV𝟯𝟰DISH 🐐#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/I7iHVp7AlA
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 9, 2021
No words needed!
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) July 9, 2021
#34 #TDF2021
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/7x0j3EYBHe
Stage 13 report from Jeremy Whittle in Carcassonne.
Can 34 become 35? Cav has a couple of obvious opportunities to take the record on his own. The first is on stage 19 into Libourne and, of course, the other is the final day on the Champs-Elysees. Anyway, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Time to drink in what he’s done today.
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Cavendish speaks: Cav looks in shock as he tries to reflect on what’s just happened. “I’m so dead. 220km in that heat. In that wind. I went deep there, I went so deep there. The boys were incredible. Can’t believe it.”
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History maker!
Superhero! How did he get out of that bunch! Wow 😮 pic.twitter.com/TZjuRUMMxm
— daniel mellor (@danm80) July 9, 2021
🏆 @MarkCavendish did it!!!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 9, 2021
🏆 @MarkCavendish l’a fait !!!#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/CpnicIecBj
Stage 34 result:
1 Mark Cavendish
2 Michael Morkov
3 Jasper Philipsen
4 Ivan Garcia
5 Danny van Poppel
Tadej Pogacar retains the yellow jersey.
Mark Cavendish wins the stage and ties the record!
He’s done it! Cavendish has equalled Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins! It’s a messy finish with Cav having to find a way through when seemingly blocked off but the Manx Missile solves the puzzle, hits the burners and lets out a roar as he crosses the line in front of his own lead-out man Michael Morkov. Remarkable! What a man!
3⃣4⃣@MarkCavendish makes history with 34 @LeTour stage wins, as many as Eddy Merckx.
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 9, 2021
Average speed in the last 500m: 57.1km/h#TDF2021 #TDFdata https://t.co/cGjelMxGOp
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1km to go: Three blue jerseys lead the way as they set up Cav. This is on!
1.5km to go: Mattia Cattaneo (DQS) hits the front as the road narrows. Cavendish perfectly placed.
3km to go: There’s a battle going on to get the wheel of Cavendish. Pace quickening.
5km to go: No-one making a move yet. Cav staying in the centre of the road about 12th from the front as they take a big sweeping turn.
7km to go: Colbrelli has been up there all day and moves up to fourth. The road is packed; the tension is building.
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9km to go: Cavendish with his “assassin’s face on” says the Eurosport commentator. Nice way of putting it. Cav in about 10th with his main rivals for the stage tracking him.
Robin Hazlehurst writes: “Random prediction: Nacer Bouhhani to deny Cav on the line but later get DQ’d for taking a diagonal line, meaning Cav gets his record but without the celebration. Hope I’m wrong...”
12km to go: Pogačar’s yellow jersey is prominent in about 10th place as he stays out of trouble. All a bit messy out front with no team in control as they try and avoid some road furniture and take another roundabout.
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Pacher back in the pack: Ineos-Grenadiers move up to the front. Cav surrounded by rival teams right now but still plenty of time to go. Plenty of echelons forming as the winds become a factor but it looks as if Froome and Alaphilippe have ben dropped.
Contenders aplenty with 20km to go: Those who will try and latch onto Cav’s wheel - Van Aert, Philipsen, Bol, Bouhanni and Matthews. Sean Kelly nails his colours to Philipsen even though he admits Cavendish will be hard to beat.
22km to go: Pacher’s futile bid won’t last much longer. Meanwhile, there’s been another mini-crash. Just bike damage rather than cuts and bruises it seems. The official site reports that Barbero and Henao (Qhubeka) as well as Donovan (DSM) are involved in this latest one. They’ll be allowed back on but this adds to the nerves.
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Another one out: Lucas Hamilton has also been forced to retire following the crash.
30km to go: Pacher has a 1min 4 sec lead over Jan Bakelants while the peloton, led by Alaphilippe, is at 1min 19. Cavendish safely positioned near the front.
Cav’s bike change: Eurosport commentator Sean Kelly says: “You don’t change bikes for the sake of it. There must have been something he was uncomfortable with.” 34km to go.
40km to go: Quentin Pacher (B&B) has attacked, opening up a 30-second gap at the front. A roll of the dice that probably won’t come off although, as I write, it’s now 40 seconds. Back down the road, a quick bike change for Cav. No need to panic though; he’s quickly back on after some help from his teammates.
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Some opinions coming in on the crash. Frank Vlaeminck writes: “Totally unnecessary this fall. Apparently there was a patch of rough asphalt following a smooth stretch. The organisation could have prevented the crash if they’d made use of mobile signalling, the way they do it in some Italian races. Just put someone with a flag there until the peloton has passed.”
Simon Yates abandons
That crash has put Yates out of the race unfortunately. Initially, it seemed he was okay to continue but it seems the injuries he suffered won’t allow it.
An omen: Edward Pollard writes: “Just before the Tour started I moved from Cavendish Road to Hope Street. So today here’s hoping all comes good for Cav.”
I’m pretty sure I took a photo of Cavendish Drive when Le Tour came through Bingley in West Yorkshire seven years ago.
Mark Cavendish currently 45km away from making history. Eddy Merckx has said he won’t lose any sleep over his record of 34 stage wins being matched and would be the first to congratulate Cav. The live betting has Cavendish at Even money to win today’s stage.
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48km to go: The race sweeps past a dried up river bed. It’s a hot day out there with temperatures pushing 28 degrees. The slow pace has allowed those injured in the crash to come across so we’re just going through a re-set phase.
The crash: Welsh speakers get live reaction too.
Damwain yn y peloton!
— Seiclo (@SeicloS4C) July 9, 2021
A crash in the peloton!
🚴🏼♂️ Le Tour de France | Cymal 12 | S4C#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/3pgrM98pf8
Breakaway caught: The inevitable happens as Goldstein and Latour get absorbed by the pack led by Julian Alaphilippe. Worth noting that the yellow and green jerseys of Pogacar and Cavendish avoided the crash.
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More on the crash. A serene stage suddenly turned nasty. A reminder of what can happen.
The peloton were speeding at 65km/h on a downhill when some riders went off-road in a curve.@SimonYatess appears to be among the most affected but he gets back on his bike.#TDF2021 #TDFdata https://t.co/Q4LUlSc7dP
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 9, 2021
Another one out: Roger Kluge becomes the 31st rider to abandon this year’s race.
Thanks Tom. Yates is back on his bike. More news emerging and it appears that crash magnet Geraint Thomas was involved too. Yates is in a bunch 2min 36 back trying to get back on. At the front, the peloton has closed to within 28 seconds of the breakaway, who will get caught very soon.
And with all this drama, David’s back to take you through the rest of the stage.
Crash
58km to go: Nasty crash in the pack, with Soren Kragh Andersen falling right off the road and into quite a deep ditch; others went too, including Simon Yates. Tim Declercq also hurt. There’s an ambulance at the scene. More as we get it.
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65km to go: Sean Bennett suddenly shows a bit of aggression out front but no one goes with him and they settle back together, Goldstein at the head, while Philippe Gilbert leads a four-man break out from the peloton to ask a few questions.
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67 km to go: Goldstein leads the front trio from Bennett and Latour, while the gap to the pack – now led by Tim Declercq – dips to 1:20 before creeping back up to around the 1min 27sec mark.
72km to go: Pogacar looks immensely relaxed among the pack, smiling and bantzing in leisurely-Sunday-afternoon-ride mode, while Cavendish looks deadly serious, ready to pounce. And the peloton edges a bit closer to the front three of Goldstein, Latour and Bennett – now around 1:30 behind approaching Cebazan.
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77km to go. Thanks for ushering me to the front there David. Vakov still heading that chasing peloton, the gap to the leading trio hovering at just under two minutes (around 1:49 currently). The calm before the storm. They’ve just passed the very attractive town of Beziers.
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Time for Tom Davies to ride to the front of the peloton and see if he can reel the leaders in. Back later.
80km remaining: The gap continues to drop. The peloton, headed by Petr Vakov (Alpecin-Fenix) with a Deceuninck-Quick Step train tucked in behind, is 1min 48sec back.
Fun fact: There are more roundabouts today (97) than in any stage since 1996. Here’s some hot roundabout action from two years ago which shows that going left or right can make a difference.
The roundabout where Pinot and some other favorites went left, when right was faster. Just after that hell broke loose when EF started echelon @inrng @davidopoczynski pic.twitter.com/aORJ5rYHyX
— Jonas Creteur (@jonas_creteur) July 15, 2019
90km to go: As the race passes through vineyards and rolling countryside, the gap has now come down below two minutes. This really does look all set up for Cav.
Some comparison stats here about margins.
With a maximum gap of 4'45'' early in the stage, today's attackers are not getting the same kind of margin that opened the door to @NilsPolitt's success yesterday.#TDF2021 #TDFdata pic.twitter.com/85LKYE7TSh
— letourdata (@letourdata) July 9, 2021
100km to go: As you were. Goldstein, Latour and Bennett bowl along in front, currently 2min 44sec clear. Deceuninck-Quick Step still policing the peloton as they look to get Cav in position later in the race although Petr Vakov (Alpecin-Fenix) is also taking his turn on the front.
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Recipe time: Viewers of the Tour de France on Eurosport may have been following - and hopefully acting on - Jonathan Harris-Bass’s daily recipes. For stage 13, he’s gone with Brioche, the “queen of dessert breads”.
The queen of dessert breads: Brioche https://t.co/SrLQVEq7WG @robhatchtv @carltonkirby @SeanKellyCC @BriSmithy @SportsOrla @gcntweet @daniellloyd1 @Eurosport_UK @AshleyPresents
— Jonathan Harris-Bass (@Jono_HB) July 9, 2021
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Intermediate sprint: Goldstein wins it at 104km, the first Israeli rider to win anything at Le Tour. He takes 20pts, Bennett 17 and Latour 15. Back down the road, will Cavendish flex his muscles by winning the sprint for fourth? He doesn’t get really involved, leaving Sonny Colbrelli to pick up some useful points.
💚 Intermediate sprint
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 9, 2021
🇮🇹 @sonnycolbrelli 13 points
🇦🇺 @blingmatthews 11 points
...
🇧🇪 @JasperPhilipsen 9 points
🇮🇲🇬🇧 @MarkCavendish 8 points#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/1x6SUE4JV1
Result of intermediate sprint at Fontès (km 104.2)
1 Goldstein 20pts
2 Bennett 17pts
3 Latour 15pts
At 2’30’’
4 Colbrelli 13pts
5 Matthews 11pts
6 Morkov 10pts
7 Philipsen 9pts
8 Cavendish 8pts
9 Bouhanni 7pts
10 Mohoric 6pts
11 Mezgec 5pts
12 Asgreen 4pts
13 Bjerg 3pts
14 Kuss 2pts
15 Pogacar 1pt
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Rigoberto Uran’s popularity: Bradley Wiggins is a pretty iconic figure and @SirWiggo has a healthy Twitter following of 75.8k. But that’s nothing compared to Uran, who currently sits second in the GC. The Colombian has an absurd 1.4million followers. Goodness me. @UranRigoberto if you want to add to it.
120km to go: The Goldstein, Bennett, Latour breakaway - “a sublime prog house outfit responsible for releasing a slew of classic peak time tunes caned by all and sundry and featured memorably in the club scene in Basic Instinct,” says Chris Collinson from BTL - leads by 2min 43sec so the gap is holding station.
An update from the official website says Lylian Lebreton, the sport director of TotalEnergies, told France Télévisions from the team car that Pierre Latour was set to break away tomorrow, not today. “This is not the scenario we imagined this morning”, he’s quoted as saying. “We wanted to be part of a breakaway that would have included more riders. Tomorrow’s stage suits Pierre much more. We haven’t chosen the race situation we’re in. Once again, Anthony [Turgis] got the ground cut from under. He’s frustrated. He’s going very strongly. Today he had a small chance to race for the win from a breakaway but he’ll try another day. He never gives up. He’ll look for another opportunity before the end of the Tour.”
To be honest, Goldstein, Bennett, Turgis doesn’t scan as well so, for prog-rock reasons, this has played out correctly in my book.
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This must feel like a gentle mod ride out for Bradley Wiggins as he pootles through the countryside. But it was very different on Wednesday when he produced this lovely tribute to Tom Simpson. Worth a look if you missed it.
"He started it all for us" ❤️
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) July 7, 2021
An emotional @SirWiggo pays tribute to the great Tom Simpson on Mont Ventoux#TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/Y3xQFKc7uq
Cavendish by the numbers: Here’s the breakdown by year of Cav’s 33 stage wins so far:
2008 - 4
2009 - 6
2010 - 5
2011 - 5
2012 - 3
2013 - 2
2014 - 1
2016 - 4
2021 - 3 and counting
Dangers to Cav: Wout Van Aert, the brilliant winner of the double Mont Ventoux stage on Wednesday, and Jasper Philipsen are considered Cavendish’s biggest threats today with nothing significant happening so far. The gap is coming down to three minutes.
140km to go: Goldstein, Bennett and Latour remain out in front but their lead has been cut to 3min 23sec by the peloton.
Bradley Wiggins: Nothing to note yet from Eurosport’s man on the motorcycle beyond a lot of the peloton needing to “go for a wee”. He noted yesterday that Cavendish seemed a little rattled about having to wear a standard green jersey rather than his preferred skinsuit number. It’s the same story today. Is there some sort of laundry backlog? Or is this an inside job to stop him winning today’s stage so he can save the big moment for the Champs-Élysées? Conspiracy theories welcome.
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Cavendish’s chances: It’s a calm before the storm day in terms of the GC but what of Mark Cavendish’s bid to win that magical 34th stage and tie Eddy Merckx’s record? Cav was a clear 3/1 favourite with the bookmakers to win today’s stage when prices went up last night. And with Deceuninck-QuickStep policing this breakway, Cav has been cut to odds-on with the in-play traders. In other words, folks, this could be a big, big day!
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Leading trio: Just to note that the three leaders are no danger at all to the GC. Latour is the highest ranked of them but currently sits 51st, a hefty 1hr 21min 10sec back from the yellow jersey.
165km to go: So, who will win today’s battle between breakaway and bunch? Right now we have a three-man breakaway of Omer Goldstein (Israel Start-Up Nation), Sean Bennett (Qhubeka-NextHash) and Pierre Latour (Team TotelEnergies). They’re 4min 34sec clear of the peloton. Latour just sprinted to grab 1 KOM point at côte de Pic St-Loup.
Stage 13 map
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