Mark Cavendish: Never Enough on Netflix will show show the cyclist's amazing pro cycling career, rollercoaster life and his fairytale comeback.
With 162 career victories under his belt, cyclist Mark Cavendish is one of Britain’s greatest sporting heroes but this documentary charts the most challenging time of both his life and career. With footage of Mark as a child and exclusive interviews with him, his wife Peta, his teammates and coaches, it shows how in 2016 he was a serial winner with the world record of 34 stage wins in the Tour de France in his sights. But then, ‘Cav’ was plagued by five years of illness, injury and clinical depression that looked to rob him of everything, from his career to his family. However, after hitting rock bottom, a 36-year-old Mark stunned the world when he rode back to glory and wrote his name in sporting history.
"It really brought a human side to what I do for the first time in my career," he admits. "I’ve got the most incredible family and with that alone life is perfect. I’ll keep trying to win for as long as I believe I can win."
Here’s everything you need to know about the raw and emotional documentary Mark Cavendish: Never Enough…
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough release date
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough will premiere worldwide on Netflix on Wednesday August 2 2023.
Is there a trailer for Mark Cavendish: Never Enough?
Yes and you can watch a clip of the documentary here. It shows how Mark lost form and how everyone wrote him off. We can see from his face the emotional turmoil that caused him and where the motivation to get back to his best came from. You can also see this trailer on the Tweet below...
On the eve of his last ever Tour de France, we’re excited to announce new documentary MARK CAVENDISH: NEVER ENOUGH.The film charts the rise, fall and resurrection of a genuine sporting great as he attempts to prove the doubters wrong and make cycling history. Coming 2 August. pic.twitter.com/DmGeqKu3HFJune 30, 2023
What is revealed in Mark Cavendish: Never Enough?
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough shows Cav’s rise to fame and how in 2016 he was at the peak of his career, chasing cycling great Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins in the Tour de France. But then, Mark faced five years of horrific injuries, a diagnosis of the Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause chronic fatigue, and clinical depression that almost cost him his marriage to his wife, Peta. We see how his career was all but over until he sought help and made a fairytale return at the 2021 tour de France.
Mark Cavendish and wife Peta on this Netflix documentary
In the 2016 Tour de France world champion cyclist Mark Cavendish earned the right to wear the coveted yellow jersey for the first time in his career. "It was incredible," he recalls. "It’s the most iconic item of clothing in sport and I’d never worn one. Without the Tour de France, cycling doesn’t exist. Even before I rode the Tour de France I was obsessed with it."
That tour left the serial winner just four stage wins behind Eddy Merckx’s 41-year-old record of 34, with the expectation being that he would soon supersede Merckx’s legacy. But as this feature-length documentary shows, the truth was somewhat different and in the next year’s tournament, Mark suffered a horrific crash. "I nearly lost my finger. I got a hole in my shoulder blade," he says.
What followed was even worse as ‘Cav’ was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus, an infection that can lead to chronic fatigue. The following year he had an even more serious crash, when he rode into a traffic island, and the aftermath saw his life spiral. He stopped eating, lost his form, and the effect it had on him almost cost him his marriage to his wife, Peta. "He was so lost" she says. ‘I didn’t know this version of him at all. I honestly didn’t know how long I could hold on for."
"I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t feel anything," admits Mark, who was diagnosed with clinical depression and admits he hit rock bottom. "I was just empty. That sense of worthlessness. I lost any get up I had just to be a person, a dad, a friend or a husband."
By 2019 Mark had lost his place on the Dimension Data team. He was devastated and believed he was done with cycling but at his lowest he made the brave decision to seek help from a sports psychologist. And, as a result, in 2021 at 36. years old, he made a fairytale return to the Tour de France, clocking up four stage wins to equal Merckx’s record and make history. Sadly, in 2023 Mark crashed out of the competition, leaving him unable to break the record. But, having previously been in such a dark place, he has a newfound appreciation for his life and career.
"I’ve got the most incredible family and with that alone life is perfect," he says. "I’ll continue trying to win for as long as I believe I can win."
All about Mark Cavendish
Born on the Isle of Man, Mark Cavendish MBE is widely considered one of the best road sprint cyclists of all time. On the track he won gold in the madison in 2005, 2008 and 2016 in the World Championships. He turned professional as a road cyclist in 2005 and has won 34 Tour de France stages, equaling Eddy Merckx’s record. In 2012, he became the first person to win the final Champs-Elysees stage in the Tour de France in four consecutive years.
