Mark Cavendish's 100th victory since turning professional
Mark Cavendish sprinted to his 100th win since turning professional in 2007 at the Giro d'Italia today.
The 27-year-old won a field sprint at the end of the 134km, rain-soaked, 12th stage to Treviso ahead of Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) and Luka Mezgec (Argos-Shimano) with a small break caught some 300 metres from the line.
Cavendish's Omega Pharma-QuickStep team executed a fine lead-out to deliver the Manxman, who, like many, has been managing flu symptoms since Friday, to the line first.
"I think today was an incredible team, incredible... Matteo Trentin, Serge Pauwels, everybody was great," final pilot Gert Steegmans said.
"We didn't get that much support. And at the end we were both like, s***, we're not going to have enough guys, but no worries.
"Now everybody is happy with what I did but I only waited until Matteo stopped, so if somebody brings me there okay."
Cavendish is second on the active riders winner's list behind teammate Tom Boonen, who is on 108.
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Alessandro Petacchi had topped the chart with an astonishing 150 career victories but announced his retirement last month.
Ironically, the Belgian outfit had tried to sign the Italian days before the first Grand Tour of the season as a lead-out man for Cavendish, which was blocked by the UCI.
One of Andre Greipel's Lotto Belisol lieutenants Adam Hansen described the move as "desperate".
"They're obviously not happy with the current team [if] they want to make changes mid-season," the stage seven winner said last week.
It seems manager Patrick Lefevere was chiefly behind the failed Petacchi transfer. But the team has proved it didn't necessarily need the addition.
"It's quite sad to see him just retire like that," said Cavendish.
"It doesn't matter how good your lead-out is there are others around - like Petacchi -that are going to be stronger.
"It didn't work out, but we came here with a team that's dedicated and it's worked out quite perfect.
"They're a good group and we're having good fun. Everyone is getting tired but I think the whole peloton is tired. We're in good spirits."
Sports director Brian Holm has been a voice of reason this year noting it takes time for a lead-out, with a new addition, and in what isn't a traditional sprint team, to gel. Different combinations also need to be tested.
The team at the Giro doesn't wholly represent that which will start at the Tour. But Cavendish's three victories in Italy thus far indicate, with the Classics, which are important for the Belgian riders, over, the sprint squad is starting to come together.
"We've got some young guys like Matteo, Iljo [Keisse] and it's something else to learn to wait. That's what makes the difference. It's the details."
We will be presenting a comprehensive feature on all of Mark Cavendish's victories, plus the highlights of his career, in a next week's issue of Cycling Weekly magazine, on sale from May 23.
Twitter: @SophieSmith86
Mark Cavendish: 100 wins in seven years
2007 - 11
Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen
Two Four Days of Dunkirk stages
Two Tour of Catalonia stages
Ster Elektrotoer stage
Tour of Denmark stage
ENECO Tour stage
Tour of Britain prologue
Tour of Britain stage
Circuit Franco Belge stage
2008 - 17
Two Three Days of De Panne stages
Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen
Tour of Romandy prologue
Two Giro d'Italia stages
Ster Elektrotoer stage
Four Tour de France stages
Three Tour of Ireland stages
Three Tour of Missouri stages
2009 - 23
Two Tour of Qatar stages
Two Tour of California stages
Tirreno-Adriatico stage
Milan-San Remo
Two Three Days of De Panne stages
Three Giro d'Italia stages
Two Tour of Switzerland stages
Six Tour de France stages
Sparkasse Giro
Tour of Ireland stage
Two Tour of Missouri stages
2010 - 11
Tour of Catalonia stage
Tour of Romandy stage
Tour of California stage
Five Tour de France stages
Three Vuelta a Espana stages
2011 - 13
Tour of Oman stage
Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen
Two Giro d'Italia stages
Five Tour de France stages
London Surrey Cycle Classic
Two Tour of Britain stages
World Champion, road race
2012 - 15
Two Tour of Qatar stages
Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Tirreno-Adriatico stage
Three Giro d'Italia stages
Ster ZLM Toer overall
Three Tour de France stages
Tour of Denmark stage
Three Tour of Britain stages
2013 - 10
Tour de San Luis stage
Four Tour of Qatar stages and overall
Three Days of De Panne stage
Three Giro d'Italia stages
Related links
Mark Cavendish: Rider profile
All-time list of British pro winners
All-time ranking of British pro riders
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Sophie Smith is an Australian journalist, broadcaster and author of Pain & Privilege: Inside Le Tour. She follows the WorldTour circuit, working for British, Australian and US press, and has covered 10 Tours de France.
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