Mark Cavendish Retires with Criterium Victory in Singapore

Mark Cavendish, Britain’s most successful sprinter in cycling history, capped off his illustrious 19-year career with a victory at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore. The 39-year-old from the Isle of Man, who announced this would be his final race before retirement, triumphed in a sprint finish to end his career on a high note. Cavendish riding for Astana-Qazaqstan wore race number 35 to commemorate his record-breaking 35 Tour de France stage wins.

Before the race, Cavendish interacted with fans, signing autographs and taking selfies. He was honored with a “wheel of honour” ceremony, where other riders held their bikes on one wheel and spun the other in tribute. The race consisted of 25 laps on a 2.3 km circuit. “I’m quite emotional,” Cavendish admitted after the race, nearly in tears. “In the last five laps, I realized it was the last 15 km of my career. I was nervous about crashing or something, but I really wanted this win.”

Throughout his career, Cavendish won 165 races including the 2011 road world title, 17 stages in the Giro d’Italia and three stages in the Vuelta a España. He also claimed omnium silver at the 2016 Olympics and was a three-time madison world champion. Having delayed his retirement by a year, Cavendish set the record for most Tour de France stage wins with a victory in Saint Vulbas in July.

Reflecting on his career, Mark Cavendish expressed his love for the sport, saying, “Cycling is such a form of freedom.” He also shared his excitement for the future even beyond his time on the bike. In the Criterium, Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin–Deceuninck finished second while Arnaud de Lie of Lotto–Dstny claimed third.