British cycling star Mark Cavendish is allowed to set the sole stage record in the Tour de France before the end of his career.
The 38-year-old sprint ace is part of his Astana Qazaqstan team for the Tour of France, which begins on Saturday. Cavendish is at the Great Loop like Belgium legend Eddy Merckx on 34 stage wins.
Cavendish is retiring at the end of the season after 17 years as a pro and four world titles. In total, he won 162 stages in various races in his career, including 54 in the three major national tours. This year’s tour is his 14th.