A long home straight helped them form a lead out train the 'Manx Missile' mastered as he powered across the finish line well ahead of Belgian Jasper Philipsen, last year's sprint points green jersey winner.

In 2023 Cavendish left the Tour in an ambulance after a banal crash bamboozled his plans.

Two seasons previously when Cavendish equalled all-time great Eddy Merckx's stage haul in Carcassonne, it was his fourth win on that edition racing for Quick Step after years in the wilderness suffering from Epstein Barr virus.

"It's my 15th Tour de France and it takes a lot to get here, getting in shape every year," Cavendish said at the line.

"I'm surrounded by incredible people and I owe a lot to them" added Cavendish who made his Tour debut in 2008 before becoming world road race champion three years later.

He missed out on a 35th stage on the Champs Elysees coming second and then missed the cut for the 2022 Tour as Quick Step picked Fabio Jakobsen 10 years his junior.

Cavendish joined Astana in 2023 before being persuaded to sign a one-year contract extension for this season.

Race leader and two-time former winner Tadej Pogacar almost hit a traffic island causing a wave of movement and a pile up of bikes and bodies behind him.

But the Slovenian preferred to focus on Cavendish after the race.

"I used to watch him on television and we loved him," Pogacar said. "Just back there I saw him and he said hey, don't you go breaking my record," he jokingly added. (AFP)
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Last updated: 2024-07-04 HKT 8:12