He is the greatest Tour de France sprinter of all time according to L’Equipe and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) edged ever closer  to Eddie Merckx’s record for stage victories after winning stage five of this year’s Tour in Marseille.

The Manx Missile, struck by bronchitis earlier in the Tour, bounced back to beat Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Edvald Boasson Hagan (Team Sky) in a sprint finish after a long, largely flat ride from Cagnes-sur-Mer.

The 24th stage win of his Tour de France career means he is now just ten short of Merckx, as Cav continues to embed his name in Tour folklore.

See how events unfolded through the lens of UCI WorldTour photographer Stefano Sirotti in the stunning gallery of images above.