Quote:Back in the race for the first time since 2018, the British sprinter has regained some of the luster of his youth to dominate the field again.

After winning Stage 4 on Tuesday to start his unexpected comeback to the top, the best sprinter in the history of the race took a step closer to Belgian great Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins.

Cavendish, known as the Manx Missile, received a late call-up last month as a replacement for Sam Bennett, the best sprinter of last year's Tour.

In addition to Merckx's record, Cavendish's next goal will be to win the best sprinter's green jersey in Paris. Lefevere said he does not want to set targets for Cavendish's aging legs since reaching the French capital after crossing the Alps and the Pyrenees is already a big challenge for his protégé.

Mathieu van der Poel kept the race leader's yellow jersey at the end of the 160.6-kilometer (100-mile) transition stage in central France with an eight-second lead over defending champion Tadej Pogacar. The main contenders enjoyed a quiet day in the peloton, conserving energy for the Alpine stages this weekend. There were no significant changes in the overall standings.