- Mark Cavendish struggled with illness during the first day of the Tour de France
- The Yorkshireman struggled on the opening hill climb through Florence
- Cavendish had to be supported by teammates tasked with cooling him down
Sir Mark Cavendish fell ill during the heat of the first stage of the Tour de France. The British cycling icon was struck in worrying circumstances.
The 39-year-old is attempting to win a record-breaking 35th stage of the Tour with team Astana-Qazaqstan, but was unable to cope with the conditions on the opening day of the extreme distance race.
Cavendish, nicknamed the Manx Missile, is a dedicated sprinter and usually rides at the back of the pack in hilly stages, including the first stage of the Tour, a 206-kilometre course between Florence and Rimini.
Temperatures in the region of Italy soared to 35 degrees on Saturday and Cavendish was one of several riders who appeared to be overcome by the sweltering heat.
Teammates of the former Team GB star were seen pouring water over Cavendish’s thin lycra outfit and packing ice cubes to keep him on the ground during a tough first climb of the afternoon.
Sir Mark Cavendish struggled with illness in the heat of the first stage of the Tour de France
Cavendish will make his final tour with the Astana Qazaqstan Team before retiring
Cavendish was cooled during a hill climb by a colleague who poured water on him
Cavendish quickly lost more than three minutes to the leading group on the first climb as the riders left Florence, Italy, and headed towards Tuscany.
The first signs of battle began to appear as Cavendish quickly lost his place as the climb quickly became steep and his legs began to fade during the fight.
Fluids were brought on board to help the struggling rider, but concerns were raised when he vomited during a rare descent.
Cavendish – not wanting to sacrifice any more time – continued to ride during the short break while trying to shorten the time.
Teammates quickly rallied around him and provided support, pouring water over Cavendish’s head at intervals and also putting cool ice in his top.
The 39-year-old was forced to vomit during a rare descent on the opening stage of the iconic road race
The Manxman is competing in his final edition of the competition after initially planning to retire last year but later postponed that decision after suffering an injury during the 2023 Tour.
Speaking before the first stage started, he said: ‘I love this sport. I love everything about the sport, especially this race. It’s beautiful this year with the start in Florence, close to where I lived for 10 years.
‘Starting here and then going to France is just perfect. I have work to do, but emotionally it’s a lot of fun.
‘I couldn’t have asked for more. I think I’m more ready for it now [for retirement] than last year. I’m happy, but I’m also so happy that I kept going.