History-making British cyclist Mark Cavendish told Sky Sports News “there’s always a finish line with everything in life” following his final Tour de France campaign.
Cavendish claimed a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage win with victory in Saint-Vulbas, moving clear of Eddy Merckx to stand alone in Tour history three years after matching the Belgian on 34 during the 2021 Tour.
Cavendish’s four stage wins in 2021 counted as one of sport’s great comeback stories, his first victories at the Tour in five years after a period of time marked by illness and injury which contributed to a diagnosis of depression.
Even since those wins three years ago, Cavendish has endured more difficulty, only signing a last-minute deal with Astana-Qazaqstan ahead of the 2023 season after the collapse of another move, then seeing last year’s Tour end abruptly on stage eight due to a broken collarbone.
Speaking from the Sky Sports News studio on Tuesday, Cavendish said: “Whatever happens, no matter how bad something gets or how bad you think it is, the one thing is you don’t give up. You try. I have five kids and I instil that into them.
“There’s always a finish line. If you put life or anything you do in terms of a back race, there is a finish line.
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Cycling journalist Michael Hutchinson reacts to Cavendish’s record-breaking 35th stage victory at the Tour de France, three years after matching Eddy Merckx on 34
“Each time you push a little bit further, you’re closer to it, and it will arrive at some point. That’s just how I see everything I do.
“You need something to aim for, something to target. For the last three years, it’s been another stage win on the tour.
“I’ve lived an incredible journey, with a nation of bike lovers who have lived this journey with me.”
Cavendish told Sky Sports he feels fortunate to walk away from the Tour on his terms
Cavendish’s first Tour stage win came in 2008 on stage five, Cholet to Chateauroux and was quickly followed by three more wins in that year’s edition. Since then, Cavendish has continued to rack up wins over 10 Tours de France.
Having finished his final campaign on the Tour, the Brit revealed he feels fortunate to depart the sport on his terms.
“I’m very lucky that everything I wanted to do in the sport, I’ve done now,” Cavendish added. “There’s not many people can have the choice to continue or not. I feel very fortunate for that.
“Even before I was a professional, I’d given my life to the sport. Now my kids are riding bikes. In whatever capacity, I’ll always be around it.
“I guess it’s [retirement] hard if you’re not in control of it. I announced my retirement last year, crashed out with a broken collarbone, and I know I was lucky to have the opportunity to continue with it.
Cavendish celebrated with his family after clinching a history-making 35th Tour de France stage win
“To still continue with a goal and wake up every day with something to aim for is something special. I get to ride my bike for a living.
“It will be wonderful at some point to look back and think about results and the memories I made at the Tour de France. Not just the victories – most of it you are suffering. You suffer through mountains to get the opportunity to sprint.
“When I started, no one talked about Eddy Merckx winning 34 Tour de France stages, because it wasn’t reachable.
“One stage makes a rider’s whole career. Let alone one per year or one every few years. I was fortunate to be part of some incredible teams, and we had success.
“It’s pretty hard. You never really stop, but you never really know what not being tired is. You always feel like you’ve done work. It’s the same with every endurance sport. But I have the freedom to ride my bike in beautiful places. It can take its toll on your body, that’s for sure.”
Cavendish ‘one of our greatest sportsmen’
Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Director Stephen Park CBE said: “On behalf of British Cycling I would like to congratulate Sir Mark on a truly outstanding achievement.
“It goes without saying that Mark is one of the greatest British riders of all time, and to cap off his final season of racing with another victory at the sport’s biggest race is a fitting final chapter in a glittering career.
“We have been proud to support Mark from his early days on the Great Britain Cycling Team academy to his final Tour de France, and this is an incredibly special day for the coaches, support staff, fellow riders and fans who have all played a role in his journey.
“Mark’s long and storied career, his passion for the sport and his tenacious pursuit for excellence make him a real inspiration for the next generation of bike riders looking to follow in his footsteps.
“He is one of our country’s truly great sportsmen and sporting personalities, and it has been a privilege to have watched him reign supreme for all these years.”
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