Mark Cavendish has done it. The Manx Missile made history today with a vintage performance on stage five of the 2024 Tour de France. Cavendish took his 35th stage win, surpassing Eddie Merckx with whom he had previously tied the record. The team and its sponsors pulled out all the stops for this effort, resulting in a particularly special and unique equipment setup for the legendary sprinter.
Cavendish was riding a fully custom bike frame, handlebar and stem, a custom helmet with a combined value of six figures — and that's without his £1000 / $1275 socks, which he left in the team bus today.
