Sir Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in his final race in professional cycling, bringing to an end a glittering career that will see him immortalised in the history of the sport.
Singapore’s Connaught Drive may lack the cycling heritage of the Champs-Elysees, but it will now be a memorable spot for Cavendish as the location of the final sprint of his career.
The “Manx Missile” raised his arms in celebration as he crossed the line for the last time, signing off with a victory in the Tour de France Singapore Criterium.
On a sweltering hot day filled with sentiment, Cavendish received a guard of honour from his fellow racers as he made his way to the start line.
“That was the first time I properly got emotional today. It was very, very nice and very unexpected,” he said.
He announced his retirement on social media on Saturday, clearing up any speculation that he might be considering one final season in the sport.
“I could see the laps counting down, and I knew they were the last 25 laps of my career, the last 15 laps, the last 10 laps, the last three laps, the last lap and then the last kilometre,” said Cavendish as he held back the tears after the podium presentation. “It was nice, I felt every bit of it.”
The 39-year-old bows out of professional cycling after securing the most stage wins in the sport’s greatest race. His victory on stage five of this year’s Tour de France took him to 35 Tour stage wins, one ahead of the legendary Eddy Merckx.
He was also a two-time winner of the green jersey points competition at the Tour and won the flagship Champs-Elysees sprint on four consecutive occasions.
Speaking to The Independent after the race in Singapore, four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome praised his British counterpart and former teammate.
“His legacy is going to live on for a very long time, with what he’s achieved in the sport,” he said. “Starting at such a young age and for the best part of two decades being at the top of his game, just phenomenal.”
Froome is also confident that Cavendish’s achievements won’t be matched. He added: “I think his records will stand. I don’t see anyone coming close to them in the next few decades.”
Whilst his incredible success will become Tour folklore, Cavendish has also secured an array of other titles.
He enjoyed numerous triumphs in cycling’s two other grand tours, picking up 17 stage wins in the Giro d’Italia and three in the Vuelta a Espana.
In 2011 he became the world road race champion – the first British winner of that event since 1965. He retires with 166 race wins under his belt as a professional, in a career spanning almost 20 years.
Cavendish’s final race was made up of 25 laps of a 2.3-kilometre circuit in the centre of Singapore.
It’s the third time that the city-state has hosted a Tour de France criterium event, coming a week after a similar race in Japan. The end-of-season events are designed to promote the Tour across Asia.
One of the star names in action was this year’s Tour de France Green Jersey winner Biniam Girmay.
He picked up victory in the points classification, but was unable to beat Cavendish to the line, with the Manx man showing one final burst of his explosive pace.
“That was really nice. What an incredible day to share my last race with those riders, the next generation of sprinters,” said Cavendish.
The twilight of Cavendish’s career has been plagued by injuries and illness and he came close to retiring from the sport last year.
He was set to call it quits at the end of the season, however a crash in that summer’s Tour inspired him to return to France for another crack at the stage victory record.
It was an inspired decision as he stormed to victory in Saint-Vulbas, 16 years on from his maiden sprint win at the Tour.
Cavendish’s decision to call time on his career inevitably led to questions about his future, but the retiring great was keen to focus on his immediate plans in Singapore.
“I’m going to dinner and I’m going to have a few drinks with my teammates,” he told reporters.
That unique relationship with his teammates was at the forefront of Cavendish’s mind as he discussed what he would miss most about life as a professional cyclist.
“Being in a team, being away with your mates. I think it’s truly important and it teaches you a lot about life to be with a group, especially in a sport where one person crosses the line first but you work as a team,” he said.
