After the completion of the 2024 Tour de France Singapore stage on October 10, a legendary sprinter, Mark Cavendish, officially announced his retirement. He had previously announced through official channels that he would retire after completing this race, so this news didn’t come as a surprise. After the conclusion of the Singapore stage, the participating riders chose to bid farewell to this undisputed legend of the Tour de France in their own unique way.
Sir Mark Simon Cavendish, born in 1985 on the Isle of Man, which is also the birthplace of another legendary motorcycle race, the Isle of Man TT, shares a similar explosive speed to the motorcycles. He is one of the greatest sprinters in history. At the start of his career, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish chose to compete in track cycling, winning several gold medals before the age of 21. In 2005, he became a professional road cyclist, and from then on, he accumulated countless honors.
I remember 2007 as Sir Mark Simon Cavendish’s debut in the Tour de France, but unfortunately, he had to withdraw from that year’s race due to a crash. The following year, he represented the HTC team and won four stage victories in the 2008 Tour de France. In 2009, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish immediately became the core rider of his team, which built an entire team around him and signed Mark Renshaw to assist him. That year, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish won six stages for the team. Over the first six years of the Tour de France, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish claimed 20 stage victories.
Before the Singapore stage of the Tour de France, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish had already accumulated 34 stage wins, a figure that broke the previous world record. In the fifth stage of the 2024 Tour de France, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish broke the record for the most stage wins in the history of the Tour de France with a perfect positioning and explosive acceleration, bringing his total to 35 stage victories, making him a true legend.
As early as 2020, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish had considered retiring. However, after enduring crashes, withdrawals from races, depression, and being sidelined by his team, he chose to persist. At the age of 39, he reached his record-breaking 35th stage win in the Tour de France, becoming the world record holder.
Wishing Sir Mark Simon Cavendish all the best.
