"It’s not about stopping, it’s about starting something new" - Mark Cavendish hints at future management role as retirement nears

The days of Mark Cavendish's professional career are winding down and although there has been some talk of riding on in 2025, the most successful sprinter of all time is beginning to think of his life away from the professional peloton.

“I speak to Peta [his wife] a lot about replacing the thrill of what I do. For me, though, it’s not about stopping, it’s about starting something new," the 39-year-old British knight of the realm discusses via Men's Health. “I will always ride a bike, but the past few years I’ve known what I want to do after. I’ve set the wheels in motion for that. I want to stay in management in the sport, I still love it. I brought a lot of people to this team [Astana Qazaqstan Team] 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.”

Obviously the thing Cavendish's career will most be remembered for, is the record breaking 35 Tour de France stage qins, eclipsing the great Eddy Merckx's tally, something many thought would never be possible. Despite the gruelling rigours of 24 career Grand Tours, Cavendish admits he still loves that feeling of being in and amongst cycling's biggest races.

“It’s mad, you’ve been in this one race for a month where your breakfast time is set for you, your schedule for departing, your massage, your dinner – everything is on a tight schedule and laid out for you. All you do is exist and do it. You live in a bubble. It’s hard, but I love it," he says. “I finished the Tour because I’ve won one in every six or seven races I’ve taken part in, or something like that…Most guys might have one win out of 300, some don’t win at all. With that in mind, the time you have on the bike is just suffering. It’s horrible and that is part of the accomplishment.”

So management in the future perhaps, but what of his immediate plans for retired life? “I will always ride my bike, but I want to run now. It’s pure – get your shoes on and off you go! I’ve already agreed to do the Paris marathon with my brother," he concludes. "I’m really looking forward to the time when I don’t have to wake up and do a specific programme on a computer. I can just ride with my friends, it doesn’t matter if I go fast or slow.”