Mark Cavendish won his 35th Tour de France stage during this year’s event, passing Eddie Merckx as the biggest ever stage winner. There is an odd feeling that in some way, Cavendish has displaced the great Belgian, but this is probably a case where a single record fails to tell even a portion of the story.
The further we get from Merckx’ career, the easier it is to forget how clearly he was and is the best of all time, still. Here’s why: