Mark Cavendish recalls horrors of violent home robbery: “I get flashbacks all the time. To have a zombie knife held up to your throat in front of your kid?”

One of the most notable cyclists of the modern era and the most successful sprinter of all time, Mark Cavendish called an end to his professional career at the conclusion of the 2024 season. Sadly though, although his many successes brought him fame and money, 'Cav' also saw the dangers that come with having well-known wealth.

In November 2021, the British star was the victim of a horrific armed burglary at his home in Essex. Masked robbers came into the Cavendish home branding large black knives as Mark, his wife Peta and son Casper slept in bed. Although Cavendish was eventually stripped of two Richard Mille watches, worth a combined £700,000, as well as a phone and a Louis Vuitton case, it was the violence of the incident that still plays in mind of the now 39-year-old Tour de France record holder, over three years on.

“I get flashbacks all the time. To have a zombie knife held up to your throat in front of your kid?” Cavendish explains in conversation with The Telegraph. “It was horrific. You think about what you could have done [differently]. Everyone thinks, ‘I’d fight.’ And of course I was swinging at first. But I tell you, anybody gets a knife held to their neck, you can’t do anything. Like, my wife’s there, my kid. I was helpless to do anything.”

“To be fair, I’m lucky because I was there. I’m happier I was there than if it happened to Peta and the kids when I was away. I would never have forgiven myself.” Cavendish continues. “They were looking for a [particular] watch that didn’t even belong to me. I had borrowed it for something. The GQ awards or something. And then I’d given it back.”

Since that day, three of the armed robbers have since been sentenced for the crime, although one member still remains on the run. According to Cavendish though, some of the reaction online left him a little disappointed. “That was almost the hardest thing. Being vilified for having expensive watches," he explains. "Firstly, Richard Mille is a partner. One of the partners who stuck by me on a personal level when I was at my lowest point. Secondly, you’ve seen today where I’ve come from, you know? I’ve done everything myself. I’ve paid my taxes. Even if I had bought [that watch] myself, how can I be vilified for that? Why shouldn’t I?” concludes the Manx Missile's recollection.