The attempt to Mark Cavendish to break the all-time Tour de France stage win record got off to a bad start on stage one. The Astana rider struggled on the first climb of the day, suffered in the Italian heat and vomited while falling behind the peloton.
Cavendish was not considered a contender for the first two stages of the Tour de France because of the difficult Italian roads that do not suit his characteristics as a sprinter. However, dropping out of the peloton with over 160 kilometers to go before the finish in Rimini was unexpected.
As the day’s breakaway group moved away and the pace on the 12.5km Col de Valico Tre Faggi remained high, Cavendish was clearly struggling and was doused with water to cope with scorching temperatures exceeding 37°C.
Despite the efforts of his teammates, Cavendish continued to struggle and was seen vomiting several times. His team did not provide details about his condition, but it appeared to be gastric distress rather than heatstroke. According to reports, he had to give up energy gels and bars because he couldn’t keep anything down.
The gap between Cavendish and his sprint train continued to grow, surpassing 10 minutes with still more than 100km left in the stage. However, the group has grown in size with the addition of more teammates, providing further support to their hunt.
By the editorial staff of Inbici News24
Copyright © Reproduction Reserved Inbici Media Group
