"Bigger than you can even imagine" - Mark Cavendish over the moon with news of British Tour de France Grand Depart
Cycling
Mark Cavendish is one of Great Britain's best cyclists in history, and throughout his almost two-decade long career he's had some amazing moments in his home country including racing the Olympic Games and also having the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2025. The Manxman is now not in the peloton anymore, but as a fan he is thrilled with the news that are now official.
“I don’t think we can comprehend what a start of the Tour de France is going to be like here. It’s going to be bigger than you can even imagine. It’s really quite exciting," Cavendish said in words to The Scotsman. Back in 2014 he had quite the experience, which he recalls fondly. “I remember not being able to stop and pee at the side the road because it was four or five people deep the whole way from London to Canterbury. I was so nervous, I don’t remember much of it, to be fair".
“We talked about that as the greatest Grand Depart, then we went to Yorkshire in ’14 and it was something else, wasn’t it? [...] I think both my British Championships came here in Scotland and more than anything I’ve always had, personally, an incredible welcome here, a real personable feel and enthusiastic support".
It will truly be a British Grand Depart, with a stage in Scotland, then Wales, then England. These days should provide, besides a massive opportunity for the British crowds, opportunities for the sprinters and classics riders.
The landscape is what Cavendish really believes will be shows best. “And they also make for a good aesthetic picture on the television and ultimately that’s what the tour does best, it shows the beauty of a country and a city and a town, especially a historic town. That’s why Edinburgh fits quite perfectly into what the Tour de France is about.”
Cycling has become incredibly popular in the area, and with the Glasgow World Championships in 2023 being very complemented, Scotland will now host another major event. “I started in quite a niche sport in the UK and you see people out watching, enjoying it, enjoying everything that it’s about. For me, over any of the competition side, that’s what sticks out".
“We’re very fortunate in this country that cycling has been this massive boon in the last 20 years and I think the success we’ve had as a nation has been part of that, but to be able to see not just the greatest bike race on Earth, but the greatest annual sporting event on Earth, here, it’s only going to inspire," he concluded.
Read also
💛 2027 Grands Départs in Britain: a three-nation innovation!
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) March 19, 2025
🇬🇧 The already rich history between the Tour de France and the UK will be even richer in 2027! The #TDF2027 and the #TDFF2027 avec @GoZwift will get the show on the road with a British trilogy. The men's peloton will… pic.twitter.com/YxzEIv2hQc
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- What can you expect from a guy like that. Probably home now enjoying his pseudo fame before his evening session of paid sex chatting.Mistermaumau28-03-2025
- There is a lot of wisdom in some of our older people and some have the wisdom to use it wisely. Others not so much.......Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025
- I loved De Vlaeminck back in the day, but I have to agree with him: he probably is a little burned out. I don't see him winning much this year.
Barney28-03-2025 - Tadej is 26 year old, Mr. Sour. And now, as you said, because the money, the cycling is extremely professionalized and competitive: winning is very hard, even for very talented riders.
maria2024202428-03-2025 - How many grand tours did Vlaeminck enter/finish let alone win? This article gives "old man yells at cloud" vibesPedalmasher28-03-2025
- I think Hinault is right: Pogacar is the first rider since he and Merckx who can win such a wide variety of races with such audacity and verve. I hope by the time he is done, Pog is widely acknowledged at the greatest of all time. Unlike Merckx and Hinault who were (probably necessarily in their era) pretty unpleasant characters, Pog is a cool, refreshingly humble guy who routinely thanks his teammates after they've taken their last bleedout pull for the day, gives bottles to little kids in the middle of a solo breakaway, walks around and congratulates his competitors at the finish, win or lose. There will always be those within the peloton and fanbase who resent his success, but he seems genuinely well-liked. He seems like the antidote to past other dominant champions who still inspire bitterness or disappointment. That said, Paris-Roubaix is a race that is both dangerous and requires a lot of specialized experience. I hope he stays upright.Barney28-03-2025
- The only one that can make it happen is the rider himself. I was just happy to hear some words of encouragement rather than another old man shouting 'get off of my lawn' moment.
santiagobenites28-03-2025 - Agree, but just putting it in his head isn’t going to make it happen, or did he doubt himself too much during his 5 MSR attempts? Didn’t look like it.Jumpyjohn28-03-2025
- Marketing for dummiesJumpyjohn28-03-2025
- It's very refreshing and a welcome change of pace to hear a legend from the past share some positive and encouraging words to the now generation for a change. Thank you, Bernard Hinault.santiagobenites28-03-2025