Mark Cavendish retires as the greatest sprinter in the history of road cycling thanks to his 35 Tour de France stage wins – here’s how a young tearaway became a legend of elite sport
A bustling, run-down epicentre of inner-city life. Students, bars, street food, an ever-giving music scene.A mode of transport Manchester had long since thrown into its underground canal system, it sat alongside other rotting relics of the industrial revolution.
"Now you could say that it was a bit of a test that almost set us up to fail. There were lots of students going around. It was very much party central and it was a fairly rough area." Speed, though, was always the friend of a man who would become known as the 'Manx Missile'."I'm passionate about motorbikes. I'm from the Isle of Man - that's in people's blood," he tells BBC Sport.
"The other guy said sarcastically: 'Yes, yes, Mark you're the best… you can go where you want and do what you want.' And Cav threw a bottle on the floor and shouted:"I effin' am the best!"For what was a shared passion, Cavendish and Clancy would take very different journeys across their careers on the bike - Clancy the warm and dry, yet harrowingly harsh, wood of the world's velodromes; Cavendish the wet, oil-smudged tarmac of the European continent.
"He was always messing around, always taking the mick out of people… that Isle of Man humour can touch your bone every now and again. But Cavendish was in the cross hairs. A lot of money was being directed into British Cycling 20 years ago, and a lot of success was expected."I never saw him as some people saw him… a bit of a problem, bit of a troubled kid, always messing around. I saw that as a really good thing. They've got a bit of flair about them.
"I'm a big believer you can do what you want to if you put your mind to it. I knew what level I had to be at and I was determined to do it the year after." The following season it was six, including his first victory on the famous cobbles of Paris' Champs-Elysees on the Tour's blue-riband final stage.
Fresh from winning the coveted rainbow stripes at the Road World Championships in true Cavendish style, he - in that jersey - epitomised cycling's Britpack in 2012. "He's very sociable so having him on the bus, the noise level went up tenfold, and the laughing went up tenfold," says Ellingworth. The strength, power and skill remained at top Belgian sprinting outfit Quick Step in 2013 - but there were fewer Tour stage wins and more outbursts at journalists and competitors.
The Epstein-Barr virus meant he was not able to fully recover from efforts. Over-training, and pushing one's body way beyond what is healthy, is one of road cycling's many occupational hazards. "I didn't feel like he was doing enough work, so he didn't get selected for the Tour. It all started going a bit pear-shaped then.
But as illness and injury prevented this outlet more and more, the frustration would be directed elsewhere. After a particularly gruelling Ghent-Wevelgem one-day race in October 2020 - thanks to a wildly flipped, Covid-affected cycling calendar - Cavendish broke down in tears and proclaimed it was"maybe my last race".
Patrick Lefevere - a man matched only by Cavendish in his outspoken nature and in giving journalists nightmares. He was CEO of a Quick Step team where it all started turning less favourable back in 2015. It was only really now that 'The Record' was starting to be discussed again. That record… a record Cavendish frequently reminded everybody he wasn't particularly bothered about.
By stage four into Fourgeres, near Le Mans, amid wild celebrations, the countdown was on as he won his 31st Tour stage. But, as the sun set on a glorious summer's day in the French capital, Cavendish careered towards the line in typical marauding fashion, the trademark grimace on his face… to see a Belgian cross the line in front of him.
Now boss of Astana-Qazaqstan – a virtually state-funded Kazakh World Tour team - 'Vino' seized upon a chance many were surprised others didn't: for Cavendish's final attempt to break Merckx's record everyone in the world apart from the man himself seemed to want so badly.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jannik Sinner's Wild RideThe Italian tennis sensation and world number one speaks to Esquire
Read more »
Kristin Cavallari Recounts Wild Ride Dating Nick Lachey Post-Jessica Simpson DivorceOn her podcast Let's Be Honest, Kristin Cavallari detailed the intense media scrutiny and betrayal she faced after dating Nick Lachey following his divorce from Jessica Simpson.
Read more »
Kristin Cavallari Recalls 'Wild Ride' Dating Nick Lachey Post-Jessica Simpson DivorceKristin Cavallari, the founder of Uncommon James, shared her experiences dating Nick Lachey after his 2006 divorce from Jessica Simpson. She detailed the intense media scrutiny and the betrayal she felt from a former friend who sold their picture to tabloids.
Read more »
Kristin Cavallari Recalls 'Wild Ride' of Dating Nick Lachey Following Jessica Simpson's DivorceKristin Cavallari reminisced about her time in the spotlight after dating Nick Lachey following his divorce from Jessica Simpson, sharing stories about the intense media attention and feeling unsafe with friends.
Read more »
Check out the Cervelo S5 that Mark Cavendish rode to four Tour de France stage winsThe Cervelo S5 Mark Cavendish rode to four Tour stage wins
Read more »
Astana 2025: Mark Cavendish Out, Chinese Bikes InWith Mark Cavendish's retirement, Astana is undergoing significant changes, including a new name, 12 new riders, and Alex Dowsett joining as performance engineer. The team is also switching to XDS Carbon-Tech's X-LAB AD9 aero bikes for 2025, moving away from Wilier.
Read more »