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A day after Cavendish had gone so close to win number 35 and taking a page in the record books all to himself, the 38-year-old crashed out of the race with an awkward fall at the rear of the peloton.
The crash seemed to be caused by a clash of wheels in the peloton which saw a number of riders pull up sharply and others behind come down with just over 60 kilometres to go.
Cavendish crashed with a small number of other riders, but it was clear immediately the Manxman was the most severely hurt by the crash. His Astana-Qazaqstan teammates swarmed around him, but were quickly waved away to rejoin the peloton as it was quickly ascertained that Cavendish would not be continuing.
The British rider was seen gripping his collarbone before being taken away by ambulance, his abandonment from the Tour de France later confirmed by race radio.
The ‘Manx Missile’ was competing in his final Tour de France, having announced his retirement at the end of the 2023 season at the Giro d’Italia.
"He started his career at the Tour de France as a star, he goes out as a star," said SBS commentator Matt Keenan. "He's one of the all-time greats, he's the greatest sprinter in the history of the Tour de France."
Cavendish's legacy won't quickly be forgotten, and his departure left a sour, subdued note on the racing for the rest of the day.
