IN PICTURES – Cycling: Mark Cavendish retires, look back at the career of a Tour de France legend

Trends naya. Trends Sunday 10th November 2024 11:36 AM REPORT

The French had gotten into the habit of finding him every summer on the roads of the Tour, because over the years, the Briton Mark Cavendish had established himself as one of the faces of the Grande Boucle. The next edition will be without him: the sprinter from the Isle of Man retired this Sunday, after winning a final criterion in Singapore. “I’m terribly moved. I realized in the last five laps… I passed the red flame for the last time“, commented the new retiree.

At 39, the one who holds the record for stage victories in the Tour de France was entitled to a guard of honor from the other riders before the start of the Singapore criterium, labeled “Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium”.

16 years of victories on the Tour de France

His first stage victory in the Tour de France was in 2008. That year he won four stage victories. Since then, he has gleaned 35, the last one last summer, then ahead of the legendary Eddy Merckx. The Briton was also crowned twice green jersey – first in the points classification – on the Tour de France, in 2011 and 2021.

One May 2023, the rider had already announced that he wanted to end his professional career at the end of the season, and had set himself the ultimate goal of achieving a 35th stage victory in the Tour de France. He finally had to give up that year due to a violent fall and had to come back for another year.

On July 9, 2008, Mark Cavendish, 23, won his first stage of the Tour de France, in Châteauroux. © AFP –
PATRICK HERTZOG

During the 2011 edition of the Tour de France, Mark Cavendish won the green jersey for the first time. © AFP –
MIGUEL MEDINA

In 2021, Mark Cavendish won his second jersey in the Tour de France. © AFP –
Anne-Christine POUJOULAT

In 2023, a terrible fall forced him to abandon the Tour de France and prevented him from reaching his goal of record stage victories (for the moment). © AFP –
Thomas SAMSON

On July 3, 2024, Mark Cavendish set a new record for stage victories in the Tour de France with a 35th success in Saint-Vulbas. © AFP –
Marco BERTORELLO

On July 21, 2024, Mark Cavendish said goodbye to the Tour de France, during the last stage, in Nice. © AFP –
Anne-Christine POUJOULAT

Professional since 2005, Mark Cavendish won a total of 165 races in his careerincluding the world championship in 2011. The “Cav” also raised his arms 17 times at the Tour of Italy and three times at the Vuelta. He also has a Monument to his name, Milan-San Remo in 2009.

“I have been lucky enough to do what I love for almost 20 years and I can now say that I have accomplished everything I could do on a bike“, he commented.

If he did not give precise indications on his future on Sunday, he hinted that he would not leave the world of Cycling. “Cycling is such a form of freedom. It’s a way to be who you want to be. It has so much potential as a sport, as a mode of transportation, as a leisure activity. I will do everything I can for it. help to progress“, he proclaimed.