Tour de France 2021 LIVE: Stage 19 latest updates as Mark Cavendish bids for all-time stage wins record
Follow live coverage of stage 19 of the Tour de France today.
If Mark Cavendish wins today he will break the all-time record number of stage wins at the Tour de France. No mean feat. The 36-year-old’s four victories at this year’s race have seen him equal the record of 34 which was set by all-time great Eddy Merckx 46 years ago when he claimed the last of his wins on stage nine of the 1975 Tour.
Cavendish has unequivocally proved himself to be the fastest man in the race when it comes down to a bunch sprint. Now he simply has to keep his cool and follow his Deceuninck-Quick Step teammates through the pack as they attempt to deliver him perfectly for a fifth time. The Brit made it through the Pyrenees without any major scares but today we will see how the mountains have affected his legs in the final burst for the line.
If he doesn’t break the record today, he does still have the opportunity to do so on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, a stage he has won four times before. But he will want to do it today. Just the small matter of 207 kilometres to navigate before we are surely treated to what could be a historic sprint finish.
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Tour de France latest: Stage 19
Easy to gloss over other legendary sprinters when Mark Cavendish is in the peloton. But here is another in Andre Greipel! The German has won 11 stages of the Tour de France.
Tour de France latest: Stage 19
Here is what Jasper Philipsen told the press ahead of today’s stage as he looks to finally try and beat Mark Cavendish in a sprint finish.
He said: “I’m happy the mountains are behind us, and we can look towards the sprint again, let’s hope. But it won’t be easy.
“The duration of the stage will make it hard, and the interest of other teams will make it hard, so I think it will be very challenging today. But for sure we’re going to do everything we can.
“I think we just have to work together with Quick-Step, maybe UAE also, and hopefully we can control it.”
Well, right now his Alpecin-Fenix team are the only ones riding…
Tour de France latest: Stage 19
165km to go: Crash! Oooo, Cavendish is involved in a crash in the middle of the peloton but everyone seems to be OK. Colbrelli went down as well along with Enric Mas and Guillaume Martin.
Not exactly sure what caused it but thankfully doesn’t look to be very serious.
Tour de France latest: Stage 19
Cavendish and Merckx. Legends.
Tour de France latest: Stage 19
171km to go: So the first real significant point of the day comes in the form of an intermediate sprint in around 18 kilometres time.
Let’s be real though, Mark Cavendish is not going to lose his 38 point lead now. Not unless he fails to place today and in Paris and Michael Matthews pulls out something incredibly special.
Meanwhile, Alpecin-Fenix have not learnt from their past mistakes. They are riding on the front again, giving Deceuninck-Quick Step a free pass at the start of today’s stage. How many times do they need to see Jasper Philipsen lose a sprint to Cavendish before they realise they need to weaken Quick Step ahead of the finish?
Tour de France latest: Cavendish and Merckx embrace
Eddy Merckx hugging Mark Cavendish before today’s stage. Will the Brit overhaul his record to clinch win number 35 at the Tour de France today?
Tour de France latest: Stage 19
177km to go: So there are just six riders in the break. WHY?!
There are 15 teams without a stage win in this year’s race. 15! And two of the six riders in today’s break are a part of teams that already have stage wins to their name – Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) and Bernard (Trek-Segafredo). No idea why more teams have not attempted to join them.
Also, DSM blocking the road to let the break go is baffling. Do they really think Cees Bol can beat Mark Cavendish in a sprint?
Tour de France latest: Stage 19
182km to go: The riders have already completed 23km of today’s stage and a break of six are up the road with more than four minutes advantage.
I’ll get to why this has really aggravated me in a minute, but for now let me give you the contents of the break.
The break: Julien Bernard (Trek-Segafredo), Jonas Rutsch (EF Education-Nippo), Simon Clarke (Qhubeka-NextHash), Franck Bonnamour (B&B-KTM), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert) and Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious).
TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE 19
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of stage 19 of the Tour de France today.
If Mark Cavendish wins today he will break the all-time record number of stage wins at the Tour de France. No mean feat. The 36-year-old’s four victories at this year’s race have seen him equal the record of 34 which was set by all-time great Eddy Merckx 46 years ago when he claimed the last of his wins on stage nine of the 1975 Tour.
Cavendish has unequivocally proved himself to be the fastest man in the race when it comes down to a bunch sprint. Now he simply has to keep his cool and follow his Deceuninck-Quick Step teammates through the pack as they attempt to deliver him perfectly for a fifth time.
The Brit made it through the Pyrenees without any major scares but today we will see how the mountains have affected his legs in the final burst for the line.
If he doesn’t break the record today, he does still have the opportunity to do so on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, a stage he has won four times before. But he will want to do it today.
Just the small matter of 207 kilometres to navigate before we are surely treated to what could be a historic sprint finish.
We will have all the action for you throughout day.
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