Six years ago, the Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish, was thought by many to be the greatest sprinter in bicycle racing history. He had dominated fast finishes in the Tour de France for years, winning on thirty different days. He never came close to winning the race overall--it's a three-week race that includes climbs through the Alps--but on relatively flat days, he was the quickest.
About five years ago, he seemed to be slowing. He was badly injured in crashes (the fate of most pro bike racers), and he came down with Epstein-Barr for the second time. He was finished and won nothing for five years. Some years he wasn't fit enough to participate, until yesterday.
This year Cavendish did not train specifically for the Tour. No point in it. But the Bahrain team lost its formidable sprinter at the last minute and made Cavendish a starter on its Tour team. No one had expected that. And then the team leader and world champion Julian Alaphilippe led an effort to help Cav--as they call him--into a striking place at the end of a very long day of riding. With cunning and 39 mph burst of speed, the old guy won for the 31st time and burst into tears.
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