"When he won I was screaming with all the other people" - Davide Ballerini plays unsung hero role in Mark Cavendish's historic 35th Tour de France success

Astana Qazaqstan Team fully backed Mark Cavendish's quest to realise 'Project 35' at the 2024 Tour de France. In a change from last year's edition, this time around the Manx Missile arrived with a team built around him an expert leadout. Among those with a key role to play was Davide Ballerini.

Part of the Astana Qazqastan Team leadout for Cavendish alongside the likes of Cees Bol and Michael Morkov, Ballerini's just was done with 300m to go in Saint Vulbas. “I stopped riding at 300 metres to the finish and looked up at the TV screen,” the Italian told Cycling Weekly. “I didn’t get off my bike, but I braked and stood there by myself to see the finish. At first I could see he was blocked in, something happened but I don’t know what. Then in the final when he started he did a really good sprint.”

Ballerini, much like most of those watching the sprint unfold at home, could barely contain his excitement and joy as he saw Cavendish make cycling history and cross the finish line first. “I was looking at the screen and when he won I was screaming with all the other people,” recalls the 29-year-old, who also worked closely with Cavendish during their Quick-Step days. “From December we were thinking about this moment, and now this moment has arrived. We are really happy. We had to keep fighting to be there because we knew that Cav was coming back – and now he is really back.”

Overcoming the legendary Eddy Merckx at the top of the Tour de France stage win list, Cavendish has now fully confirmed himself as the greatest stage winner in the long and storied history of cycling's most iconic race. With more sprint opportunities to come though, could things get even better for the 39-year-old Manxman?