Before July 3, 2024, the legendary cyclist Eddy Merckx held the Tour de France stage win record for an astonishing 48 years. On that day, 39-year-old Briton Mark Cavendish raised his arms in victory after a chaotic sprint to end the 110-mile stage from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas. This 35th win vaulted Cavendish to a pedestal all his own.
Cavendish’s 19-year career is full of memorable highlights. No current rider has more professional race wins. Through an exceptional mixture of genetics, fitness, aerodynamics, and race craft, the sight of Cavendish, arms up, crossing the finish line ahead of the greatest cyclists on earth, became commonplace.
“Project 35” chronicles the story behind Cavendish’s record-breaking stage win in the 2024 Tour de France. Learn what it takes from Cavendish, fellow riders, and the Astana-Qazaqstan team staff, who 100% supported the monumental effort to claim one of the most cherished records in cycling. Everything is on display: triumphs, tragedies, tears, and joy. It’s quite a ride.
Illness, Depression, and the End of a Career?
Although Cavendish downplays his desire to break Merckx’s long-standing Tour de France stage win record, its enormity seemed to almost derail his career at times. His story reads like an award-winning dramatic movie. Cavendish openly battled illness and depression, which resulted in plummeting results and eventual ejection from the pro ranks.
He was hired for the 2021 and 2022 seasons by a team for which he rode prior, Deceuninck-Quick-Step. Remarkably, the team did not pay him a salary for what was essentially a lifeline. And, dramatically, Cavendish returned the favor by winning four stages and the sprinter’s green jersey in the 2021 Tour de France. This brought his win tally to 34, one win behind Merckx.
More drama ensued as Cavendish was left off the 2022 Tour de France roster, and he found out about it through social media. Extending his career to vie for the stage win record seemed unlikely, with younger sprinters seemingly displacing the aging superstar. Out of contract at the end of the season, it again seemed like the curtain would close for Cavendish.
Cavendish didn’t give up; he seemingly secured a spot on a smaller French team. But as the 2023 season approached, the team folded. Again, it seemed like the sun would set on the “Manx Missile’s” already legendary career.
Enter Astana-Qazaqstan
At the very last minute, the Astana-Qazaqstan brought Cavendish aboard for the 2023 season with the goal of attaining win #35 in the Tour de France. Again, he was denied what he stated would be his last Tour de France. A touch of wheels 37 miles from the finish of stage 8 cruelly put Cavendish to the ground. He abandoned the race with a broken collarbone. “Cav” was finally going to retire. Or was he?
True to form, Cavendish announced at the very end of the 2023 season that he would delay retirement to race in 2024 with Astana-Qazaqstan.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Watch “Project 35” to witness the story from behind the scenes.
