Mark Cavendish on hectic stage 4 finale at the Tour de France: “That was a bloodbath"

Mark Cavendish was unable to make history on stage 4 of the 2023 Tour de France. In a chaotic finale to the stage, there were crashes galore with plenty of riders hitting the deck. Cavendish has seen a lot over the years but even he was shocked by the crazy final kilometre.

“That was a bloodbath," the experienced Astana Qazaqstan Team sprinter told Eurosport in a post-stage interview. "Every team had a plan for that final and I'm willing to bet not one of them went right, except Jumbo started those narrow roads at the front."

The 'Manx Missile's quest for a historic 35th Tour de France stage win goes on with Jasper Philipsen taking the win for the second straight stage. After finishing in 6th place on stage 3 though, a finish of 5th on stage 4 is a minor improvement for the 38-year-old.

"It was a real mix of riders in the final and I was constantly analyzing who was there and who had teammates with them," Cavendish continued. "Then I saw that Mads Pedersen had Jasper Stuyven with him. He usually starts the sprint early and there was a headwind finish and long straights on a wide road. I thought I'd take advantage of that."