Mark Cavendish's exit from Tour de France deemed 'heartbreaking'

Mark Cavendish crashes out of Tour de France, ending his stage win quest.

Mark Cavendish, the renowned sprinter, suffered a devastating crash in what was supposed to be his final Tour de France. This unfortunate incident ended his pursuit to surpass Eddie Merckx in stage wins. The 38-year-old British rider was involved in a crash on a seemingly safe flat section of road near the village of La Chapelle-Verlaine, around 63km from the finish. He was taken to the hospital with a broken collarbone, while Mads Pedersen of Denmark emerged as the winner of the bunch sprint in Limoges, France.

The news of Cavendish's crash left his team devastated. Mark Renshaw, Astana's sprint advisor, expressed his emotions by saying, "I won't lie, I cried. Everyone in the team is hurting." Cavendish had come into this year's Tour with 34 stage wins, tied with Belgian legend Merckx. However, his hopes of breaking the record were dashed when Jasper Philipsen denied him his 35th stage win on Friday. On Saturday, former world champion Pedersen claimed victory, with Philipsen and Wout van Aert finishing second and third, respectively.

Pedersen expressed his sadness over Cavendish's misfortune, saying, "It's sad a legend like him ends his Tour like that. I hoped so bad he'd get his 35th win on the Tour. It's painful not only for him but also for so many other people in cycling, riders and fans, everyone." Italian rider Gianni Moscon, who was behind Cavendish during the crash, explained, "There was a crash in front of us and Cav had to break because someone changed line. He just hit the rear wheel of the guy in front of him and went down."

Cavendish's injuries were evident as he remained on the road in agony, clutching his right shoulder. His Astana teammate David de la Cruz described the moment as "super hard" and emphasized Cavendish's leadership and charisma within the team. Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France race director, called it an "emotional day" and acknowledged Cavendish's status as the best sprinter in the history of the race.

Cavendish made a name for himself in the Tour de France in 2008, when he won his first four stages at the age of 23. His charismatic celebrations and fierce competitiveness attracted a new generation of fans to the sport. Although he initially stated that this would be his final Tour, he left the possibility open for another year on the eve of the race. Cavendish's message to never give up and to commit to what you love resonated with many.

In the overall standings, Jonas Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey as the leader, with Tadej Pogacar trailing by 25 seconds. Both riders expressed their sadness over Cavendish's crash and his missed opportunity to win another stage. The race will continue with a challenging stage on Sunday, featuring the ascent of the Puy de Dome volcano. This stage holds significance not only for its difficulty but also for its rich history.

Fellow athletes reacted to Cavendish's crash with heartbreak. Tadej Pogacar described it as a sad moment, as Cavendish was in good form and came close to winning a stage. Fred Wright expressed his devastation, stating, "It's heartbreaking really. I've only just found out now, I mean you could tell there was carnage going on behind, but we were just fighting, fighting, fighting to be in the front the whole time." The news of Cavendish's crash reverberated throughout the cycling community, leaving many saddened by the unfortunate end to his Tour de France journey.