SAINT-VULBAS, France -- Mark Cavendish broke Eddy Merckx's long-standing record for most career Tour de France stage wins with his 35th victory on Wednesday.

The 39-year-old Cavendish sprinted for the win in the fifth stage of the Tour, pulling away some 100 meters from the line despite being bunched in. He crossed the line ahead of Jasper Philipsen and then jumped into the arms of a teammate.

Cavendish equaled Merckx's mark of 34 wins during the 2021 Tour and went close to No. 35 in the seventh stage last year when he was narrowly beaten to the line by Philipsen. He then crashed a day later and broke his right collarbone.

The Briton postponed his retirement by a year afterward.

Merckx, the Belgian considered the most dominant rider in cycling history, won his 34 individual stages at the Tour from 1969-75.

Astana-Qazaqstan rider Cavendish, 39, had shared the record with Belgian great Eddy Merckx, one of the four five-time Tour de France champions.

He was greeted and embraced by several of his rivals shortly after crossing the finish line.

Slovenian Tadej Pogacar retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after he just avoided crashing into a central reservation some 57km from the finish with several riders just behind him hitting the deck.