Valence (dpa) – Under the dark storm clouds of Valence, Mark Cavendish hearted world champion Julian Alaphilippe, put on his broadest grin – and talked down his own performance shortly before Eddy Merckx set the age-old record.
“I hardly did anything except to drive the last few meters fast,” said the 36-year old star after his third stage win in this year’s Tour de France. With his 33rd triumph, he is getting closer and closer to the Belgian cycling legend Merckx (34) – and in the absence of several top sprinters, the Brit just doesn’t seem to be able to overcome this year.
“Was the old school”
“That was the old school, that was a perfect journey for my team – it was what you would expect in the textbook,” emphasized Cavendish after the third success in the third mass sprint of this tour. His racing team Deceuninck-Quick-Step had ideally prepared the final after 190.7 kilometers from the Olympic site Albertville to Valence on Tuesday. Cavendish himself then finished by beating the two Belgians Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen. “I’m not going for the green jersey, I’m going for stage wins. And that’s how I collect the points for the jersey, ”explained Cavendish.
Among other things, Alaphilippe had worked for the veteran. Cavendish proudly and sweaty presented the green jersey at the first winner interview and never stopped thanking his fellow campaigners. «I am so humble. The winner of the Tour of Flanders drives for me, the world champion drives for me – and then I have to finish it, “said Cavendish – he succeeded splendidly as he did in Fougères and Châteauroux. In the battle for the green jersey he is already way ahead with 218 points, 59 points ahead of Michael Matthews.
World championship preparatory work
The defeated Van Aert also had to admit: “I was very well positioned and on Cavendish’s rear wheel. But in the end the best man won. ” World champion Alaphilippe was happy that his preparatory work was rewarded. “We wanted to show something today and we knew that Mark was in great shape,” said the 29-year-old, who himself has already won one stage of this tour.
There are four more sprint chances to Paris. Then the German veteran André Greipel also wants to do better. On Tuesday he made it to seventh place. It was his strongest result so far, but the final speed of the 38-year-old no longer seems to be enough for a podium. «The body fell asleep a bit after the rest day. It will take a few kilometers to wake him up, ”Greipel said at the start.
After the sprint show to the Ventoux
After the perfectly prepared sprint show by veteran Cavendish, which was preceded by a nervous stage, the focus should be on the new tour dominator Tadej Pogacar again on Wednesday. The Slovenian had duped the entire competition in the Alps last weekend and is considered the hottest contender for the next big coup on the difficult stage, where the legendary Mont Ventoux in Provence is crossed twice for the first time on Wednesday.
In contrast to the hard and cold alpine stages at the weekend, the next series of corona tests did not result in any consequences for the field. 164 of 165 drivers were able to continue the race at the start of the second week of the Tour, only the German Jonas Koch was unable to start because of an illness that was not specified.
Primoz Roglic, plagued by a fall, has not been there since the weekend. The Jumbo Visma professional was considered one of the top favorites for yellow after he had to admit defeat to compatriot Tadej Pogacar in 2020. If sporting director Merijn Zeeman has his way, Roglic will make another attempt next year. “He’ll be returning to the tour next year. This is the race he wants to show that he is number one in the world. He will come back, “said Zeeman the specialist portal” Cyclingnews “.