Share

Racing News

Cavendish ninth on all-time list of Tour stage wins

Mark Cavendish’s victory on stage five was his 16th Tour de France win

Mark Cavendish’s sprint victory on stage five of this year’s Tour de France means the Manx Missile rises to ninth on the list of all-time Tour de France stage winners.

Frenchman André Darrigade, who won the green points jersey in 1959 and 1961, is the only sprinter above Cavendish, with 22 stage wins from 14 Tour de France appearances.

The 26-year-old Cavendish, however, has racked up his 16 victories in just four years – registering four, six and five wins in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively before opening his 2011 account in Cap Frehel on Wednesday.

Cavendish’s first Tour stage win came in Chateauroux, where stage seven finishes on Saturday. With a flat finish also suited to the fast man on stage six, Cavendish has the opportunity to triple his tally for this year’s race before the peloton heads into the lumpy terrain of the Massif Central.

Meanwhile, Eddy Merckx tops the list, with The Cannibal winning a remarkable 34 stages between 1969 and 1975 – and, of course, the Belgian won the overall race five times along the way.

Merckx is one of three riders to win eight stages in one Tour – in fact he done it twice in both 1970 and 1974 – alongside Charles Pélissier (1930), with whom Cavendish draws level on 16 wins, and Freddy Maertens (1976).

All-time Tour de France stage winners

1. Eddy Merckx (1969-1975) – Belgium – 34 stage wins

2. Bernard Hinault (1978-1986) – France – 28

3. André Leducq (1927-1938) – France – 25

4. Lance Armstrong (1993-2005) – United States – 22

André Darrigade (1953-1964) – France – 22

6. Nicolas Frantz (1924-1929) – Luxembourg – 20

7. François Faber (1908-1914) – Luxembourg – 19

8. Jean Alavoine (1909-1923) – France – 17

9. Jacques Anquetil (1957-1964) – France – 16

René Le Greves (1933-1939) – France – 16

Charles Pelissier (1929-1935) – France – 16

Mark Cavendish (2008-present) – Great Britain – 16

13. Freddy Maertens (1976-1981) – Belgium – 15

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production