Heartbroken Mark Cavendish admitted he was “bitterly disappointed” after Jasper Philipsen denied him a record-breaking Tour de France win on the line in Bordeaux.
Sixteen years to the day since the Manx Missile made his debut on Le Tour, at the Grand Depart in London, Cavendish hit the front 100 yards from the line.
But Philipsen summoned the finishing power to claim a third consecutive bunch sprint win, leaving 38-year-old Cavendish cursing his near-miss with immortality – and still tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx on 34 career stage wins.
