Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Thursday October 3, 2024 at 1:33 p.m.
Accompanied by his wife, Mark Cavendish experienced a solemn and particularly important moment.
Mark Cavendish is still Mark Cavendish, of course, but it’s even a little more than that since Wednesday. At Windsor Castle, the man who this summer beat Eddy Merckx’s record for the number of stage victories in the Tour de France (35) became Sir Mark Cavendish. The legendary British sprinter was in fact duly knighted by Prince William, an unusual situation which made him “really nervous”: “His Royal Highness was superb, honestly I didn’t know that I would feel like that, but I’m incredibly proud to represent the country and it’s wonderful.”
“I am very lucky”
He remembers meeting the son of King Charles III for the last time in 2014 in Yorkshire, when the Tour de France started there, “I had fallen at the end of this stage”: “He asked what I did and told me about my career, it was very nice. I am very lucky to have been able to do what I love for so many years and to see that I am inspired by it. others.”
Mark Cavendish still reminds us, as he often does during his career, that he is just a boy from the Isle of Man. And that he could not have dreamed of such an accomplishment, that of becoming a knight commander. At 39 years old, could that push him to come back for a few races with this new status? Obviously yes, “it would be fun”, even if it won’t be on the Tour de France. Always evasive about taking a formal retirement, he has not raced since the Tour but could therefore point the end of his handlebars again at the end of the season, under the jersey of his team Astana – Qazaqstan where he will complete his second year. Even if we’ll have to hurry…
