Eritrea’s Girmay sprints to Tour de France stage 3 win, Cavendish’s record chase suspended

TURIN, Italy (AP) — Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay sprinted to victory on the third stage of the Tour de France, while Mark Cavendish’s quest for a record-breaking 35th stage win was postponed. The 39-year-old Cavendish has been tied with Eddy Merckx for three years with 34 wins apiece and postponed his retirement to try to break the record again this year. But Cavendish appeared to be slowed by a crash in the finale, although it did not appear that the British rider fell. The largely flat 231-kilometer (144-mile) route from Piacenza to Turin offered the first chance for a bunch sprint. There are a handful of other opportunities for sprinters later in the race.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.