Mark Cavendish to Retire After Final Tour de France Criterium

Mark Cavendish the most successful sprinter in cycling history will retire after racing in the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore this Sunday. The 39-year-old from the Isle of Man, who announced in May that this season would be his last, etched his name in history by breaking the record for Tour de France stage wins reaching 35 victories in July.

Cavendish’s career highlights include winning the world road title in 2011 and securing the prestigious green jersey twice at the Tour, awarded to the rider with the most points. He has claimed 165 professional victories since 2005, including 17 stages in the Giro d’Italia and three in the Vuelta a España. In recognition of his remarkable career, Cavendish was knighted in October.

On the track, Cavendish earned an Olympic omnium silver in 2016 and won three Madison World Championships. Reflecting on his career, Cavendish shared on Instagram, “Racing career – completed it,” expressing his gratitude for nearly 20 years in the sport and confirming that he had achieved all he could on the bike. Cavendish began his professional journey in 2005 with T-Mobile winning his first Tour de France stage in 2008 with Team Columbia.

Despite facing injury struggles in 2017, he bounced back and enjoyed a resurgence adding four more Tour victories and the green jersey with Quick Step. Cavendish later moved to Astana-Qazaqstan for the 2023 season. Though he initially planned to retire at the end of 2023, a crash at the Tour de France that summer led him to extend his career for another year.

In his final season, Mark Cavendish surpassed the legendary Eddy Merckx’s record for Tour stage wins with his victory in July.