One last one for the road. Or rather before leaving the road. Mark Cavendish offered himself one last victory in his last appearance on the professional cycling circuit, winning the Singapore Criterium on Sunday, November 10, ahead of Belgians Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud de Lie.
Upon crossing the finish line, the 39-year-old British sprinter raised his arms in triumph: his farewell to the competition was a success. “I am really movedhe explained later. I did it in the last five laps. [du circuit de 2,3 km, parcouru à 25 reprises] that these were the last 15 kilometers of my race, my last red flame, but I was so on the limit that the heat here is not very pleasant for me. »
Record holder for stage wins in the Tour de France, seventeen stage wins in the Giro and three in the Vuelta, world road race champion in 2011, winner of the Milan San Remo monument in 2009, the rider of the Isle of Man, will continue to be one of the figures of the peloton, in which he has competed since 2005. He was also entitled to a guard of honor from the other runners, this Sunday, before the start.
The day before the Singapore criterium, he declared on his Instagram account that he would retire from the sport once the following day’s event was over. Numerous personalities from the world of cycling, from the Australian Robbie McEwen (three times green jersey on the Champs-Élysées) to the Dane Michael Morkov, his driver in the Belgian Quick-Step team and then in his current team Astana Qazaqstan, greeted one of the best sprinters of all time.
His greatest achievement
However, this announcement from the British was not a surprise. The one we nicknamed “the Cav” had already expressed his desire to hang up, at the end of 2023, before reversing his decision. Because he still had a crazy bet left: surpass the legend Eddy Merckx in the annals of the Grande Boucle.
The greatest achievement of his life as a runner came, sixteen years after his first victory in the Tour, on July 3 in Saint-Vulbas, in Ain, when he raised his arms in the 35’s test.my times, one more than the Belgian “Cannibal”.
Mark Cavendish used his last stand on Sunday to remind people of the love he has for his sport: “Cycling is a great form of freedom. It’s a way to be who you want to be. It has a lot of potential as a sport, as a means of transportation, as a leisure activity. I will do everything I can to help you progress. It won’t stop even if I stop riding my bike. »
