"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. Thank you, everyone, for all the support,
always."
The word ‘legend’ is thrown around far too casually in the
sporting world these days, but when Cavendish gets called a legend, he truly
deserves it. The most decorated sprinter of all time has had a truly incredible
career, and this seems like the perfect time to look back on some of his best
moments.
World Champion
Let’s go back to 2011, the year Mark Cavendish added the
rainbow jersey to his palmares. At the World Championships in Copenhagen,
Cavendish knew this would be a big chance for him to become the world champion,
on a course suited to the peloton’s fast men.
He was supported by a supreme British team, that included Bradley
Wiggins, that was on the verge on a glorious era of success on the road. The
British team were abled to control the race, and set up the sprint for
Cavendish, and back then if Cavendish had even a chance of victory he was
almost guaranteed to take it. In the end, the Max Missile launched his move in
the final kilometre, and roared past Matthew Gross and his rival Andre Greipel
to become the fastest cyclist in the world.
Cavendish became just the second British male to win the
road race, after Tom Simpson all the way back in 1965. He was certainly a
deserved wearer of the coveted rainbow jersey, and he won some epic
races in the jersey, especially at the following year’s Tour de France.
Tour de France 2012
The 2012 Tour de France presented Cavendish, the world
champion, with a new challenge, as he was not the main focus of his team. He’d
joined Team Sky for 2012, who’s main goal was to win the Tour de France with
Bradley Wiggins, but Cavendish didn’t let this prevent him from lighting up the
Tour whilst wearing the rainbow jersey.
Whilst his opportunities were more limited than previous
years, as Team Sky dedicated their team to helping and supporting Wiggins, Cavendish still picked up three stage wins. None were more impressive than his
win on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, where he won for the fourth year in the
row. Led out by the yellow jersey winner Wiggins, Cavendish blew past his
rivals to remind the world he was still the best sprinter on the planet. Not
only was this one of the greatest moments of Cavendish’s career, the image of
Wiggins in yellow leading out his man in the rainbow jersey in Paris is one of
the greatest British sporting moments.
Fighting to the bitter end in 2018
No, this is probably not on most people’s list of Cavendish’s
greatest moments, in fact it was probably one of his worst. But it was a true
show of character, for a man we know will never, ever give up.
During the 2018 Tour de France, Cavendish battled against
the clock and refused to quit on his way to finishing a brutal mountain stage.
Stage 11 of the Tour was one of the most punishing, taking riders through the
Alps with relentless climbs and sharp descents that tested the sprinters to the
very limit. It became clear very quickly that Cavendish was facing an insurmountable
challenge.
As the race progressed, Cavendish and other sprinters fell
behind the main group, fighting against the elimination time cut that loomed over
the sprinters in the mountainous stages. Despite his effort, Cavendish crossed
the line outside the time cut, ending his hopes of completing that year’s Tour.
It was a moment that showcased not just the physical toll but the psychological
weight carried by sprinters in the mountains, where survival, not victory, is
the goal. The image of Cavendish finishing the race despite having missed the
time cut, with pain smeared across his face, is one that highlights his attitude and committed to completing even the most impossible of tasks.
Return to the Tour de France in 2021
After years on the sidelines, still agonisingly close to the
Tour de France stage win record, Cavendish returned to the Tour in 2021. After
years marred by illness, injury, and doubts about his future, Cavendish's
participation in the Tour seemed improbable. However, following a late call-up
to Deceuninck–Quick-Step, Cavendish seized the opportunity with both hands and
rolled back the years with one of his best Tour de France campaigns.
From the very start, Cavendish showed signs of his old self,
winning Stage 4 in Fougeres, a site where he had tasted victory before back in
2015. It was a poignant moment that not only brought him closer to Eddy
Merckx’s record of 34 Tour stage wins, but reminded the world that he could
still be among the world’s best. It was a powerful moment watching Cavendish
celebrate the victory, knowing he’d overcome the demons of his past few years.
Cavendish went on to win three more stages in the 2021 Tour,
tying Merckx’s record with a spectacular win on Stage 13 in Carcassonne and
equalling the Belgian legend’s long-standing record of 34 career Tour de France
stage wins. Although he narrowly missed breaking the record with a fifth win
that year, his performance was hailed as a comeback for the ages, showcasing
his relentless drive and legendary sprinting speed. He also won the green
jersey that year, the first time he’d managed that since back in 2011, ten
years earlier.
Record breaker
In a moment that will forever be etched into cycling
history, Cavendish won Stage 5 of the Tour de France earlier this year,
bringing his career total to an unparalleled 35 Tour stage victories. This moment
had been three years in the waiting, after he missed the 2022 Tour, and
suffered an injury at the Tour in 2023. He was eventually convinced to hold off
retirement for 1 more year, and you can bet he and the cycling world are glad
he did.
In a field that included young sprinters like Biniam Girmay and
Jasper Philipsen, many thought Cavendish would be denied the win and that his
day had been and gone. He’d not looked at his best throughout the season, and
he was nearly dumped out of the Tour on stage 1 after suffering in the heat.
But on stage 5, he was not to be denied. He roared away from
his rivals, and could not be stopped on his way to a truly historic moment. Following
his win, the peloton’s best riders could be seen congratulating Cavendish, as
the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel acknowledged they had just
witnessed a legend at work.
And so that was that, Cavendish will end his competitive
career tomorrow. He will be missed by the cycling world, but his highlight reel
will be the stuff of legend for years to come. We know we’ve not covered all
his best moments, so we leave you with a question: What was your favourite
moment of Cavendish’s career?