Cycling Legend Mark Cavendish to Conclude Career This Sunday

Known as the ‘Manx Missile’ for his exceptional finishing speed in bunch sprints, Britain’s Mark Cavendish, widely recognized as the most accomplished sprinter in cycling history, is set to retire following his participation in the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore this Sunday. The 39-year-old athlete from the Isle of Man, who had announced in May that the current season would be his final one, established a new Tour de France record for stage victories with his 35th win in July. Cavendish secured the road world championship title in 2011 and twice claimed the green jersey at the Tour, an award given to the rider accumulating the most points. Since commencing his professional career in 2005, he has achieved 165 race victories, including 17 stages in the Giro d’Italia and three in the Vuelta a Espana. He was also honored with a knighthood in October. In track cycling, Cavendish earned an omnium silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and was a three-time madison world champion. “Racing career – completed it,” Cavendish, a rider for the Astana-Qazaqstan team, posted on Instagram. He added, “I am lucky enough to have done what I love for almost 20 years and I can now say that I have achieved everything that I can on the bike.” He continued, “Cycling has given me so much and I love the sport. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in it and now I am ready to see what the next chapter has in store for me.” Cavendish initially showed promise as a BMX and mountain bike rider before becoming a key figure in the period of increased investment in British cycling, which saw British Cycling achieve dominance in track cycling at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. His professional road career commenced in 2005 with a feeder team for T-Mobile, and he secured his inaugural Tour stage victory in 2008 while competing for Team Columbia. From 2017, Cavendish experienced a period of injury and illness, leading him to suggest at the close of the 2020 season that retirement might be imminent. However, after regaining his form the subsequent year, he went on to win an additional four Tour stages and the green jersey during his second tenure with Quick Step. In 2021, Cavendish and his family were subjected to a violent robbery at their residence. The following year, he was not selected for Quick Step’s Tour squad, which led to his signing with Astana-Qazaqstan for the 2023 season. Cavendish had initially planned to retire at the conclusion of the 2023 season, but a crash that ended his participation in the Tour that summer prompted him to postpone his retirement by a year. Having shared the record for Tour stage wins with the legendary Eddy Merckx since 2021, Cavendish surpassed the Belgian’s achievement with a victory in Saint Vulbas in July. He secured a third-place finish in the Tour de France Saitama Criterium in Japan last weekend.