Hoban salutes Cavendish's Tour stage win achievement

Within seconds of Mark Cavendish equalling Barry Hoban’s British record of eight stage wins in the Tour last Wednesday, the phones were ringing on Hoban’s desk at Yellow Ltd, the Staffordshire-based cycle clothing company.

“All the phones here are going berserk, they are all trying to tell me something,” joked Hoban when he answered Cycling Weekly’s call.

We had to ring the man who has held the British record all these years.

“Cav is amazingly fast. I’ve never known anyone as fast as him,” said Hoban, a pro from 1964 to 1980. “The only way anyone is ever going to beat him is jump him before, but unfortunately how do you jump him before when they’re going at 45mph?

“Cav’s great. I was talking to someone the other day and he’s saying, at last, at long last, we’ve actually got cycling in the news on radio and television.

“I’ve always said that when we had no one representing Britain, doing anything, we won’t get coverage.

“But now we’ve got Brad Wiggins in fifth overall and you’ve got Cav winning all the sprints.

“It’s continued from the Olympics. So it will be a snowball effect for cycling now. We’re finding in the commercial side of good quality cycle stuff, it’s manic.

“We’re running out of stock right, left and centre. We’ve ordered 25-30 per cent more stock this year and we’re running out. All our white bib shorts are riding the Etape – there’s 2,500 Brits in that.

“If anyone speaks to Cav, give him my regards, tell him to knock up a few more. Just keep hammering the Continentals.”

Hoban won his eight stages between 1967 and 1975.

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STAGE REPORTS

Stage 11: Cavendish takes fourth win to equal Hoban's record

Stage 10: Cavendish spoils Bastille Day party to take third stage win

Stage nine: Third French win as contenders content with ceasefire

stage eight: Sanchez wins from break as Tour favourites cancel each other out

Stage seven: Feillu wins at Arcalis, Nocentini takes yellow, Contador leap-frogs Lance

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Stage five: Voeckler survives chase to win his first Tour stage

Stage four: Astana on top but Armstrong misses yellow by hundredths of a second

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Stage three: Cavendish wins second stage as Armstrong distances Contador

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