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.

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