Sir Mark Cavendish’s last ever race confirmed after Tour de France heroics – but it won’t count if he wins
SIR MARK CAVENDISH has confirmed his final pro cycling race will be next month – but with no chance of increasing his awesome haul of official victories.
The Manx Missile earned a record-breaking 35th stage win in the Tour de France four months ago.
In all, the 39-year-old has 165 successes, including stage triumphs at the 2024 Tour Colombia and Tour of Hungary.
And having already announced he’s retiring this year, Cavendish has now revealed the Singapore Criterium will be his last hurrah on the pro stage.
The three-time track world champion will compete in the professional peloton on day two, November 10.
However, Cavendish’s career CV will remain on 165 wins whatever happens, because the criterium is not a UCI event.
The all-time great road sprinter insists he WILL take the wheel for other, non-pro races after his peloton in the Far East.
But Cavendish has yet to say where, and has ruled out racing beyond 2024.
After picking up a knighthood from Prince William last week, the husband of former model Peta Todd said: “I’ve still got races this year.
“I’m still training for them, it will be really nice to race as a Knight Commander.”
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Cavendish added: “I’ve already said I won’t do another Tour de France.
“I am very fortunate to have got to do what I love for so many years and to see other people inspired by that and riding bikes themselves.”
Cavendish is best-known for passing Belgian icon’s Eddy Merckx record of 34 Tour de France stage wins in the summer, having won his first way back in 2008.
After reaching his landmark 35 this summer, he said: “I’m in a bit of disbelief.
“You sprint as hard as you can until you get to the finish and maybe your life changes if you cross that line first, maybe it doesn’t if you don’t.
“That is the nature of this race and what makes it so beautiful.”