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SINGAPORE (Velo) — Mark Cavendish retired from professional cycling four months after breaking the all-time stage win record at the Tour de France.
The veteran sprinter was one of 48 riders who lined up for Sunday’s Singapore Criterium, raising his arms aloft one last time after almost two triumphant and turbulent decades in the sport and 165 pro victories.
The result of the showcase event was all but pre-determined but Cavendish, who hasn’t pinned on a race number in a UCI race since the Tour in July, was red-faced at the finish. He’s never much been a fan of the heat or humidity, and Singapore brought both.
“It was so hot; I’m still sweating now. I can’t stop sweating,” he said.
The 39-year-old high-5’d former lead-out specialist turned Astana-Qazaqstan sports director Mark Renshaw as he circled back to the finish line. The Australian, who contributed greatly to Cavendish’s halcyon success, was scheduled to come out of retirement and race alongside the Manxman but did not, watching instead from the sidelines with his children on holiday.
Cavendish leaves the sport older, and with what he always wanted – a legacy.
“I am quite emotional, actually,” he said. “I realised in the last five laps it was the last 15 kilometres of my career. I passed the flamme rouge for the last time in my career and I felt that. But I was so on the limit…the heat here is not nice for me.
“I didn’t race since the Tour de France so I am missing that sharpness and, when the guys are here with the lead-out teams, it was always going to be difficult. But you see the amazing job that my team did leading me out, controlling the race. I had to go [for it].”
Jasper Philipsen opened the sprint up early. Cavendish was quick to respond.
“I was lucky I was able to get on his wheel and come past him for the final. I could feel [Arnaud] De Lie coming, and when I passed Jasper I could feel him speed up, but I really wanted that so bad.
“I’m so proud to win the Tour de France Prudential Singapore Criterium as my last professional race.”
Keeping a decision quiet
The recently anointed knight of the British realm leaves cycling with an untouchable record. There were also some lows, with health issues, winless droughts, and some doubters who said he’d never win again.
Of course, Cavendish proved them all wrong. He kept the suspense about his future running all the way into this weekend’s official goodbye.
“I’m not talking about my future,” is the answer he gave when fans and media asked about what’s next in the weeks and days, even hours leading up to Singapore.
An Instagram post the night before the main event finally confirming he would hang up the cleats. A fact, Cavendish admitted afterwards, he’d known for a while.
There were no tears on Sunday, just a guard of honor from the small peloton, support from his wife, Renshaw and three trade teammates.
“Actually, I’m OK here. Yeah, I’ve known for a while that I’d stop. I’m alright, you know,” he said.
Cavendish’s strength for many years was his speed, but greater than that was his ability to get people to work for him.
His achievement at the Tour, coined Project 35, saw many riders and team staff, like Michael Morkov, from earlier, successful chapters, graciously return to his service.
‘You live ups and downs’
It’s perhaps no surprise then when Cavendish, when asked what he’ll miss most about the sport, succinctly said this:
“Being in a team. Being away with your mates. I think it’s truly important. 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.
“It takes more than just a job to work for each other, to commit and to create bonds and lifelong friendships and I’m very lucky I’ve made a lot of those,” he continued.
“Just being away with those teammates is something I’m definitely going to miss.
“I’ll probably stay in cycling for sure but it’s different when you’re not a rider, you live so much together, so you live ups and downs, and it’s very, very special.”
For now, though, it’s drinks and dinners.
