Mark Cavendish grateful for perfect end to pro career - "The majority of athletes will never get to go out on a fairytale ending"

Mark Cavendish has had the last season of his professional career this year, and has finished it on a high. A 'fairytale ending', something most riders don't have, and he explains how he has achieved a lot of what he's won due to his tactical side rather than being stronger than the rest.

"I would not be a professional now if so many people just look at the scientific part it leaves a gap open for someone who looks tactically minded at things," Cavendish said in words to BBC Radio 5 Live. Comparing to other sprinters the veteran was always far from the heavyweights in terms of raw numbers, but thrived on his aerodynamic sprinting position which gave him the nickname 'Manx Missile'.

Above that, he was also a pure sprinter, one who struggled in all other kinds of terrain, but in the frequent cases of flat bunch sprints, he argues he developed not only the physical attributes, but also the mental attributes to have perfect positioning and energy management, superior to the rest in his day.

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"Everything is quantifiable - the power you put out, the weight you are, and that makes it harder for someone who is tactically minded. Even when I was younger and not as scientific, I didn't quite 'hit the numbers' so I shouldn't be a professional," he admits. "If everyone looked tactically, it would have made my job a lot harder. I never neglected my physical training but it is as important to train your mind to read a situation - to look at results, look at tactics of other teams. I did that and others didn't."

Cavendish has spent the last few years battling to break the record of stage wins at the Tour de France and amazingly finished his search this summer, winning stage 5 of the Grand Boucle in a perfectly executed bunch sprint. He then had a relatively relaxed final two weeks in the race that marked his career the most, before taking a long break from racing where it was unsure whether he'd return or not. The answer ultimately is no, and this past weekend he rode the Singapore Criterium as a final racing outing - where he was allowed to take the win as a tribute.

"I was fortunate to get some extra years out of my career and complete cycling, I guess. The majority of athletes will never get to go out on a fairytale ending," he aknowledges. "The people I turned pro and raced with have all retired, their sons have also retired. That makes me feel old. There is nobody competitive at this age. I'm lucky I had the support of my team and family who believed in me because of my tactical side rather than the physical ability."

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