Cavendish joins the Tour de France elite

Monday, 27 July 2009
Lionel Birnie, Nigel Wynn
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Mark Cavendish wins Tour de France 2009, stage 2

When Mark Cavendish raised his arms in victory and crossed the finish line ahead of his rivals on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, he joined the elite list of prolific Tour de France winners.

Cavendish's career total of 10 Tour stage wins - six stage wins in 2009 coupled with four in the 2008 Tour - means that his name is included in an exclusive roll call of all-time cycling greats.

To really appreciate how far Cavendish has come in such a short amount of time you only have to see the names of riders who also won 10 stages in their career - Henri Pelissier, Charly Gaul, Jan Raas and Walter Godefroot are all names etched into the Tour's long history. In two years, Cavendish has matched them.

Just two more Tour stage wins, to bring his total to 12, would mean Cavendish equals the likes of Miguel Indurain, Mario Cipollini, Robbie McEwen and Erik Zabel.

In terms of total Tour stage wins, Cavendish still has a way to go to match that of Eddy Merckx, who won an astonishing 34 stages between 1969 and 1975 - of course, he also won the race five times along the way.

Cavendish also scores highly in terms of stage wins in one given Tour, only 13 riders have ever won six or more stages in one go - and only five riders have won more than six stages in one year. Freddy Maertens was the last rider to win eight stages, in 1976.

It's early days yet for Cavendish. He should have a long and successful career in front of him, giving him the opportunity to add his name to the very top of the Tour's roll of honour.

Record number of Tour de France wins (individual)
34 stage wins
Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 1969-1975

28 stage wins
Bernard Hinault (France) 1978-1986

25 stage wins
André Leducq (France) 1927-1938

22 stage wins
André Darrigade (France) 1953-1964
Lance Armstrong (USA) 1993-2005

20 stage wins
Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg) 1924-1929

19 stage wins
François Faber (Luxembourg) 1908-1914

17 stage wins
Jean Alavoine (France) 1909-1923

16 stage wins
Charles Pelissier (France) 1929-1935
René Le Greves (France) 1933-1939
Jacques Anquetil (France) 1957-1964

15 stage wins
Freddy Maertens (Belgium) 1976-1981

13 stage wins
Philippe Thys (Belgium) 1913-1924

12 stage wins
Louis Trousselier (France) 1905-1910
Jean Aerts (Belgium) 1930-1935
Gino Bartali (Italy) 1937-1950
Miguel Indurain (Spain) 1989-1995
Mario Cipollini (Italy) 1993-1999
Erik Zabel (Germany) 1995-2002
Robbie McEwen (Australia) 1999-2007

11 stage wins
Louison Bobet (France) 1948-1955
Rafaele Di Paco (Italy) 1931-1935

10 stage wins
Henri Pelissier (France) 1913-1923
Antonin Magne (France) 1927-1938
Maurice Archambaud (France) 1933-1939
Charly Gaul (Luxembourg) 1955-1961
Walter Godefroot (Belgium) 1967-1975
Gerrie Knetemann (Netherlands) 1975-1982
Jan Raas (Netherlands) 1977-1984
Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) 2008-2009

Most stage wins in a single Tour
Eight stages
Freddy Maertens 1976
Eddy Merckx 1970 and 1974
Charles Pelissier 1930

Seven stages
Bernard Hinault 1979
Eddy Merckx 1969
Gino Bartali 1948

Six stages
Mark Cavendish 2009
Luis Ocana 1973
Eddy Merckx 1972
Rene Le Greves 1936
Andre Leducq 1932
Jean Aerts 1933
Marcel Buysse 1913
Francois Faber 1909
Emile Georget 1907