Mark Cavendish crashes out of Tour de France

British cyclist's hopes of breaking Eddy Merckx's 34 stage wins record ends after fall in stage eight

Astana Qazaqstan Team's British rider Mark Cavendish receives medical attention after suffering a crash during the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, July 8, 2023. AFP

British cyclist Mark Cavendish's bid to take a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win ended after he was forced to abandon the race following a crash on Saturday.

Cavendish suffered a fall 140km into stage eight that left the star rider with what appeared to be a broken collarbone.

The 38-year-old was racing his final Tour de France in an effort to break the all time record of 34 stage wins he shares with Eddy Merckx.

Cavendish held his right arm after crashing on Saturday, and then held his head in disbelief as he climbed into the race ambulance where doctors strapped his shoulder.

The Astana rider was distraught as doctors closed the ambulance door on his bid to set the new record which escaped him by a whisker on stage seven at Bordeaux on Friday.

Headed for victory on the banks of the Garonne river, a chain slip saw Jasper Philipsen beat him to the line and deprive him of a landmark stage win.

Cavendish burst on to the Tour de France map in 2008 with his first four wins when he was just 23-years-old.

He missed the cut in 2022 but changed teams for 2023 where he appeared capable of clinching the all important stage for which he strived so hard.