Sir Mark Cavendish is hanging up his cleats.
The Manx Missile, 39, achieved immortality over the summer, breaking Eddy Merckx’s long standing record for most Tour de France stage wins. On the roads to Saint-Vulbas, just days after suffering from heat stroke, Cav hit the line first – his 35th win in the Tour.
“Sunday will be the final race of my professional cycling career,” Cavendish posted on Instagram ahead of the Singapore Criterium. “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.
“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.”
One of the original members of British Cycling’s 2004 academy, Cavendish started his road career in 2005, and made his Tour de France debut in 2007. However, dreams of a win on home roads in Canterbury were shattered due to a crash.
(Image: BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
He would take his first Tour win in 2008, with 34 more coming across the next 16 years. The Manx Missile would also win 17 stages of the Giro d’Italia, two national titles and a monument at Milano San-Remo.
Cavendish’s achievements would capture the nation as he added a world title and an Olympic silver medal to his palmarès.
However, he has no plans to leave the sport – recently telling Men’s Health he wants to get into management: “I’ve set the wheels in motion for that.
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“I brought a lot of people to this team [Astana Qazaqstan] over the past two years, and I know what it takes to be successful. I’ve been building up to the moment I’m not racing.”
Cavendish also revealed that he has agreed to run the Paris Marathon next year with his brother.