UK (Commonwealth) _ Mark Cavendish, a British cycling legend and the most successful sprinter in cycling history, had a spectacular finish to his nearly two-decade career by winning the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore.
Cavendish concluded his journey in style, winning the exhibition event ahead of Biniam Girmay and Jasper Philipsen in a group sprint finish.
The day belonged to the Manx Missile, who proved himself by postponing retirement after breaking the record he shared with Eddy Merckx with his 35th stage victory in the Tour de France. Wearing race number 35 on Sunday, Cavendish celebrated his biggest accomplishment.
The Isle of Man native, 39, won a sprint finish to cap off a 19-year career, declaring on Saturday that this would be his last race before retiring. Riding for Astana-Qazaqstan, Cavendish set a new Tour de France stage-winning record by donning race number 35.
Before the event, which consists of 25 circuits on a 2.3km route, he signed autographs, took selfies with supporters, and was given a “wheel of honor” at the starting line, where other riders raised their bikes up on one wheel and spun the other.
After the race, Cavendish nearly broke down in tears and said, “I’m quite emotional.” “I was worried that if I battled [for the lead], I would crash or something,” the speaker said, acknowledging that the last five circuits were the last fifteen kilometers of his career. That was what I so badly want. My favorite sport is undoubtedly this one.
Throughout his career, Cavendish won 165 events, including the 2011 road world championship, 17 Giro d’Italia stages, and three Vuelta a Espana races. In October, he became a knight.
He won the omnium silver medal at the 2016 Olympics and was a three-time Madison world champion. After postponing his retirement for a year, Cavendish claimed the record for the most Tour de France stage wins in July. In Saint Vulbas, he prevailed.
“Cycling is such a form of freedom,” he stated. It’s a way to meet new people and spend time alone thinking. As a sport, a way to get around, or a hobby, it has a lot of promise.
“I will keep doing whatever I can to support this growth, even though I no longer ride a bike. I might even be able to expand on that.I’m eager to see what the rest of my career has in store. I couldn’t have asked for a better farewell.
I hope everyone enjoyed that Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin–Deceuninck came in second, while Lotto–Dstny’s Arnaud de Lie came in third. The silver medalist for Team GB has won 165 races, including three in the Vuelta a Espana, 17 stage victories in the Giro d’Italia, and the 2011 road world title.
Born on May 21, 1985, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish KBE is a retired professional road racer from Manx. He was a sprinter in road racing and a specialist in the Madison, Points Race, and Scratch Race disciplines as a track cyclist.
The Tour de France’s director, Christian Prudhomme, referred to him as “the greatest sprinter in the history of the Tour and of cycling” in 2021. Many regard him as one of the greatest road sprinters of all time. With 35 victories across 15 Tours and 17 years (2008–2024), he now holds the record for most Tour de France stage wins.
Cavendish was a top-track racer in his early years. He represented Isle of Man in the scratch race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and competed for Great Britain in the Madison at the 2005 and 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, paired with Rob Hayles and Bradley Wiggins, respectively.
He did not race on track again until 2015 after missing out on a medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2016, he won his third UCI Track Cycling World Championships championship in the Madison event alongside Wiggins, and also secured a silver medal in the omnium as an individual.
Cavendish leads the all-time list with 35 Tour de France stage victories, which adds to the third-highest total of fifty-five Grand Tour stage victories. After Tom Simpson, he became the second British rider to win the men’s road race at the 2011 Road World Championships.
