Mark Cavendish has announced his retirement from professional cycling, ending his career at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore this weekend.
Cavendish was originally set to retire in 2023, but that was postponed after he crashed in that year’s Tour de France.He won his 35th Tour de France last summer, surpassing Eddy Merckx’s record.
“Sunday will be the last race of my professional cycling career,” Cavendish said. “I am lucky to have done what I love for almost 20 years and now I can say that I have achieved everything I could on a bike.
“Cycling has given me so much and I love the sport, I’ve always wanted to make a difference and now I’m ready to see what the next chapter has in store for me.
“Thanks to everyone, always for their support.”
The Manx rider has won 165 races in his career, including the 2011 road world title, while he won Great Britain Olympic silver in the omnium at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Please use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Record Tour de France winner Cavendish discusses the proudest moments of his career
When collecting his knighthood in October, Cavendish reiterated that he would not be competing in the Tour de France again, saying:
He increased his career. “I’m very lucky to have been able to do what I love for so many years and to see other people get inspired by it and take up cycling themselves.
“Seeing how many people are cycling now, seeing the growth of cycling in this country and seeing how successful we are at it … it’s incredibly rewarding to be a part of it.
“It’s wonderful. I’m a boy from the Isle of Man, being a Knight Commander is not something I could ever dream of.”
