Cavendish climbs list of all-time Tour stage winners

When Mark Cavendish won on the Champs-Elysèes on Sunday, he pulled level with the great Belgian Freddy Maertens in the all-time list of Tour de France stage winners.

The sprinter from the Isle of Man rode his first Tour in 2007, won his first stage in Châteauroux in 2008. Earlier in this Tour he levelled and then overtook his mentor, the German Erik Zabel, as well as Mario Cipollini and Robbie McEwen - the modern greats who each had 12 wins. Sunday's comfortable victory on the Champs Élysées in Paris was his 15th Tour stage win.

That puts him equal 12th in the list of all-time stage winners. Eddy Merckx holds the record with 34 stage wins. If you take into account only post-war stage wins, Cavendish is equal sixth with Maertens. And he's still only 25...

ALL-TIME RECORD INDIVIDUAL STAGE WINNERS

Does not include team time trials

1. Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 34 stage wins 1969-1975

2. Bernard Hinault (France) 28 1978-1986

3. André Leducq (France) 25 1927-1938

4= André Darrigade (France) 22 1953-1964

4= Lance Armstrong (USA) 22 1993-2005

6. Nicolas Frantz (Luxembourg) 20 1924-1929

7. François Faber (Luxembourg) 19 1908-1914

8. Jean Alavoine (France) 17 1909-1923

9= Charles Pelissier (France) 16 1929-1935

9= René Le Greves (France) 16 1933-1939

9= Jacques Anquetil (France) 16 1957-1964

12= Freddy Maertens (Belgium) 15 1976-1981

12= Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) 15 2008-2010

POST SECOND WORLD WAR

Does not include team time trials

1. Eddy Merckx (Belgium) 34 stage wins 1969-1975

2. Bernard Hinault (France) 28 1978-1986

3= André Darrigade (France) 22 1953-1964

3= Lance Armstrong (USA) 22 1993-2005

5. Jacques Anquetil (France) 16 1957-1964

6= Freddy Maertens (Belgium) 15 1976-1981

6= Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) 15 2008-2010

NOTE: Some records, including Wikipedia, credit Nicolas Frantz with 25 stage wins. This is incorrect, Frantz won 20.

Related links

Tour de France 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

Mark Cavendish: Rider Profile