You will not have missed the fact that Sir Mark Cavendish made history at the Tour de France on Wednesday afternoon, as he won stage five and broke the stage victories record in the process.
The Astana Qazaqstan rider has been through a lot to get to this point - including 15 Tours de France - and there has been an outpouring of love for the 39-year-old and his incredible achievement.
Plaudits have come from all corners, including former rivals, current rivals, and those at the very top of the sport. I've even had an email from a betting company, which has slashed the odds for the Manx Missile to win Sports Personality of the Year for a second time. Stranger things have happened.
To just think that his first stage win came on stage five of the 2008 Tour, where he beat riders like Óscar Freire and Erik Zabel, and you get a sense of how incredible the achievement is.
"When I began coaching Mark as a young boy, I always knew he would go on to achieve amazing things," his first coach, Dot Tilbury, said. "He is an inspiration for everyone on the Isle of Man – and after this victory there can be no doubt that he the greatest sprinter of all time."
British Cycling's performance director, Stephen Park, led the congratulations on behalf of the governing body in the UK.
"On behalf of British Cycling I would like to congratulate Sir Mark on a truly outstanding achievement," he said. "It goes without saying that Mark is one of the greatest British riders of all time, and to cap off his final season of racing with another victory at the sport’s biggest race is a fitting final chapter in a glittering career.
"We have been proud to support Mark from his early days on the Great Britain Cycling Team academy to his final Tour de France, and this is an incredibly special day for the coaches, support staff, fellow riders and fans who have all played a role in his journey.
"Mark’s long and storied career, his passion for the sport and his tenacious pursuit for excellence make him a real inspiration for the next generation of bike riders looking to follow in his footsteps. He is one of our country’s truly great sportsmen and sporting personalities, and it has been a privilege to have watched him reign supreme for all these years."
Here is a collection of some of the best posts on social media we have seen
1. Taylor Phinney was just as impressed by this Arkéa-B&B Hotels rider as Cavendish's big achievement. It is some bunny hop.
the only person who feels even close to as much relief as mark today is the guy who successfully JUMPS OVER Mads Pederson pic.twitter.com/4mPsEaMCu6July 3, 2024
2. That said, the former pro cyclist was very, very happy to see #35 happen. It's a big deal.
They say never meet your heroes. That rang true for many of the legends I came across in the sport of cycling — with one exception. Mark Cavendish. One of the kindest, most generous, playful and loving humans on this earth. Now the greatest of all time. So proud of you my friend!July 3, 2024
3. Marcel Kittel, once Cavendish's big foe, retired a few years ago and is younger than Cavendish, just to show how impressive the feat is. He is very magnanimous in his congratulations.
4. No photo finish needed, really
5. I think the crown and sash are ASO-approved items, although they might have just been photoshopped on
6. Another former rival - a big one at that - Peter Sagan, has his say. Not sure he understands how monarchies work
7. Even other teams - although this one is his former employers - are getting in on the congratulations. It's impressive
8. Matt Stephens is very happy, which is nice
9. Cameron Mason, with his eagle eyes, spotted that Cavendish's chain came off during the celebration. It didn't matter at that stage, obviously
CAV WITH THE TRADEMARK DROPPED CHAIN CELEBRATION LETS GO 💥💥💥‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/0Nvips9exSJuly 3, 2024
10. Luke Rowe can't even type words, which is how I felt really
Msbencavwusofmh35wkamshdhJuly 3, 2024
11. Pascal Ackermann is part of history, as he was the man who essentially led Cavendish out to his sprint. At least he can see the funny side - the cheque will be in the post
When your sprint ends up leading out the record-breaking @LeTour stage win 😉Congratulations on making history, @MarkCavendish!#TDF2024 🇫🇷 #YallaIPT pic.twitter.com/6miafAGsfGJuly 3, 2024
12. Apologies for the swearing, but it's quite good advice here. Why bother killing yourself in the Pyrenees now?
Cav should retire right now. No more fucking mountains. Just end it on top.July 3, 2024
13. We've had Biniam Girmay, Richard Carapaz, and now Cavendish making history. The monumental Tour de France!
The feel good tour continues 🥹 Cav the 🐐July 3, 2024
14. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck probably has every right to feel peeved, but is a good loser here. As long as Cavendish doesn't keep winning, I'm sure
15. And finally, just take a look at this top-20 from Cavendish first won a Tour de France stage. It's pretty ridiculous
In 2008 Mark Cavendish won his first Tour de France stage. This is the top 20 that day. I checked the entire list and the only other rider from that Tour de France still active is Chris FroomeThat's quite a legacy (both guys BTW) pic.twitter.com/szyPEUsLJeJuly 3, 2024
