Eddy Merckx has congratulated Mark Cavendish for dethroning him as record Tour de France stage winner. “Congratulations Mark Cavendish for this historical achievement. Such a nice guy to break my record,” the 79-year-old Belgian icon Merckx said on Instagram. Briton Cavendish, 39, had clinched a 35th stage win at the iconic French race on Wednesday which moved him one ahead of Merckx. However, Merckx has also won the Tour five times, plus five titles at the Giro d’Italia, and three world championship gold medals.