Within the relentless 21-day cycle of effort and recovery, breakfast is a relaxed time. At this point everyone is feeling as fresh as they’re going to within a 24-hour timeframe. The food on offer is less strictly nutritional and more about personal preferences, as the riders burn it off within hours. Conversation is random banter, anecdotes from the peloton, thoughts for the day. For Cavendish, the stage to Tournai offered the prospect of a tasty duel between the sprinters, which he particularly savoured in his first Tour wearing the world champion’s rainbow bands.
After a quiet start in the hotel the cyclists would then get on with pre-race preparations in the safe haven of the team bus (even allowing for Wiggins’s legendary mimickry), before heading out to face the media circus en route to the start. At this stage, Cavendish looked to be in his element. While Wiggins hates the nerve-inducing mass jostle of the first week, and the other riders felt the responsibility of keeping Cavendish safe throughout, Cavendish himself relishes the fight. The first sprint finish came down to an absorbing battle. After being led up by Eisel and Boasson Hagen, Cavendish positioned himself with stunning precision, darting from wheel to wheel before claiming the ideal spot right behind André Greipel and pouncing brilliantly to take his 21st Tour stage success.
‘Eddy and I brought him up and then he jumped away from us from 2km out. He knew he was going to come from behind. He did it perfectly,’ marvelled Eisel. ‘He took a lot of risks, jumping from wheel to wheel, it cost him some energy. For Eddy and I, his win was amazing because we didn’t have much to do!’
Day three of 21 and a Team Sky rider was on the podium, enjoying the winner’s presentation, receiving a victory bouquet of yellow flowers from women in yellow dresses … How many more times would that scene replay over the remaining days of the Tour?
It was a perfect team result, with Cavendish bagging the win, Wiggins retaining second place overall and the team riding well together as a unit. Famously, Cavendish’s moods can fill a room, so it was a happy bus that took the team on to the next hotel. ‘It’s been a good start to the race for the team,’ he said. ‘Brad stayed out of trouble and hopefully he can continue on towards yellow. We’re here to win the yellow jersey. I’m here to do what I did today. I’ve been more relaxed than ever coming into this Tour de France as the pressure hasn’t been there for me to do anything. A win doesn’t give me any more confidence as it’s never easy to win a Tour de France stage, with a team or on your own.
‘Every race since I’ve won this jersey I’ve wanted to show why I’m worthy to wear it. I really wanted to do it honour this year, and that means winning wherever I can go. It’s very, very special. Every day in training, in racing, maybe once every few minutes I look down, I see the rainbow bands and it gives me a great sense of pride.’
Mark Cavendish. Sprinter. Age: 27. Nationality: British. Career highlights (as of eve of 2012 Tour de France): 2011 Road Race World Champion. Winner of 20 Tour de France stages. First British cyclist to wear the maillot vert.