Everyone at the Tour de France was left saddened and emotional after Mark Cavendish crashed out of the race during stage 8, perhaps ending his hopes of winning a record-breaking 35th stage victory.
Riders are rivals out on the road and in sprints but share the same risks and suffer when other riders crash and are injured. Team staff work incredibly hard to help their riders and often spend more time with them worth their own families. A sudden crash and change in fortunes hurts everyone.
“It hurts more than yesterday, and I didn’t think that would be possible,” Mark Cavendish’s former lead-out and now sprint consultant Mark Renshaw said, as everyone at Astana Qazaqstan was left in shock by the crash.
“To finish second yesterday and to have this happen today to Mark, it’s hard because we all know his shape’s there he’s there for the win," he said.
“I won’t lie, I cried, as did Maurizio Mazzoleni in the team car. Everyone in the team, they’re hurting because there’s a hell of a lot of work gone into this.”
Team manager Alexander Vinokourov, the Astana Qazaqstan team doctor and other staff headed to the Perigord to see Cavendish and understand the full extent of his injuries that forced him out of the Tour de France.
He was seen holding his right shoulder immediately after the crash and realised he was injured and in pain when he tried to push down with his right arm.
“I don’t want to say too much but as soon as they have an official press release with exact medical problems they’ll release that,” Renshaw explained.
“Vino took a chance with him and who’d have thought in January that Mark would be here running second in the Tour and then the next day crashing," he added.
“We’ll try to honour Cav with a victory but it’s a big hit and it’s really hard.”
The team confirmed details of Cavendish's injuries on Saturday evening, which include a right collarbone fracture.
Teammate Gianni Moscon saw Cavendish crash. Someone braked ahead, other riders went into each other and Cavendish was perhaps last in the line of riders to go down.
“We were just in the back of the peloton, just after the first climb of the day, there was a crash in front of us,” the Italian explained.
“Cav had to break full gas, and then someone changed lines and he hit the rear wheel of the guy in front of him and went down. It was quite bad. I stayed with him to see how he was, but it was clear he wasn’t able to keep going with the race.
“He was really suffering. We tried to help him, but he had to abandon.
Many riders in the Tour de France peloton didn’t know that Cavendish had crashed out or found out via their race radio as they rode to Limoges. At the finish, they were saddened and reflective.
“It’s a real shame, I heard in the middle of the stage, that he broke his collarbone, and to go home, especially after yesterday when he was so close to the stage win,” Tadej Pogačar said.
“Everybody wanted to see him go for one more win, especially as he said it’s his final year, I hope maybe not, now. I think everybody wanted to see him win one more stage this year.”
Mads Pedersen was happy to win the sprint in Limoges but saddened to hear about Cavendish.
“It’s so sad that such a legend had to finish the Tour like this,” the Lidl-Trek rider said. “I wish him all the best, hopefully to do the last race he does to honour a legend who stops in cycling.”
Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme spoke for everyone at the Tour de France.
“It is an emotional day and he was so sad just after the fall,” he said, referring to the television images of Cavendish as he sat stunned in the ambulance after his crash.
“He's the best sprinter in the history of the Tour de France, he wanted to try to win a 35th stage and he was second yesterday. For two or three seconds yesterday we thought he would succeed in achieving his goal and suddenly today, it's over.
“Mark deserves the respect of the Tour. He will always be welcome with or without his bike.”
