THE GREATEST SPRINTER OF ALL TIME
Mark Simon Cavendish
"The stronger you are as a unit, the more you can control a race. The strongest cyclist in the world isn't as strong as two guys, let alone nine."-Mark Cavendish
Mark Simon Cavendish MBE (born 21 May 1985) is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Astana Qazaqstan Team.[11] As a track cyclist he specialises in the madison, points race, and scratch race disciplines; as a road racer he is a sprinter. He is widely considered one of the greatest road sprinters of all time,[12][13] and in 2021 was called "the greatest sprinter in the history of the Tour and of cycling" by Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France.[14]In his first years as an elite track rider, Cavendish won gold in the madison at the 2005 and 2008 UCI Track Cycling World Championships riding for Great Britain, with Rob Hayles and Bradley Wiggins respectively, and in the scratch race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games riding for Isle of Man. After failing to win a medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics he did not compete on track again until 2015, subsequently winning his third UCI Track Cycling World Championships title with Wiggins in the madison in 2016, and an individual silver medal in the omnium at the 2016 Summer Olympics.As a road cyclist, Cavendish turned professional in 2005 and achieved eleven wins in his first professional season. Cavendish has won 34 Tour de France stages, tying him for first on the all-time list with Eddy Merckx, contributing to a third-highest total of fifty-three Grand Tour stage victories. He won the men's road race at the 2011 Road World Championships, becoming the second male British rider to do so after Tom Simpson. Cavendish has also won the points classification in all three of the grand tours: the 2010 Vuelta a España, the 2011 and 2021 Tour de France[15] and the 2013 Giro d'Italia. In 2012, he became the first person to win the final Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France in four consecutive years.He won seven Grand Tour stages in 2013, one in 2015 and four in 2016. This included a win on stage one of the 2016 Tour de France, claiming his first Tour de France yellow jersey. Cavendish crashed with Peter Sagan on stage four of the 2017 Tour de France, forcing him out of the race. Cavendish continued producing good results until August 2018, when he was diagnosed with Epstein–Barr virus. Before his diagnosis, Cavendish was able to compete in the 2018 Tour de France but was disqualified after not making the cut-off time on stage eleven. He returned to the Tour de France at the 2021 edition, winning four stages to take his total to 34 stage wins, equalling the overall stage victory record, and winning his second points classification.In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Cavendish was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to British Cycling." He also won the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award with nearly half of the votes going to him out of a field of ten nominees.
Mark Cavendish has announced that 2023 will be his final season as a professional rider.Speaking at a press conference in Coccaglio during Monday’s rest day at the Giro d’Italia, Cavendish confirmed that he would retire at the end of the current campaign"I’ve absolutely loved racing every kilometre of this race so far, so I feel it’s the perfect time to say it’s my final Giro d’Italia and 2023 will be my final season as a professional cyclist," Cavendish said.Sponsored Links
If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted.
Combat Siege
The announcement comes a day after Cavendish marked his 38th birthday, and it signals the final chapter of a career that saw him become the most dominant sprinter in the sport.
But later on he announced that "maybe another year would be great yeah?"
Mark Cavendish: Never Enough documents the rise, fall, and comeback of one of the most popular cyclists of our time—Mark Cavendish. Mark took an interest in cycling from a young age, and his passion for the sport remained the same all his life. It was always about proving himself at every point in his life, but gradually the situations changed, and he went into a dark place. The documentary features Mark Cavendish, and he candidly discusses the worst phase of his life and how important mental health is in sports. Mark Cavendish: Never Enough is an inspiring documentary that makes one believe in the phrase the best is yet to come.
Mark’s blood test report showed traces of the Epstein-Barr virus. Even though Mark’s health was deteriorating beyond limits, he did not stop like a true sportsman. However, a tragedy soon occurred. Mark perhaps lost consciousness and unexpectedly crashed into a boulder at the race in Milan because of which he was gravely injured. His wife, Peta Todd, remembered how terrified Mark was when he called and informed her that he had lost sensation in his legs. After the crash, the media declared that Mark Cavendish had lost his spark. He could sense people losing hope in him, and he was afraid of not making a comeback.What Led To Mark’s Fall?
Mark left his week-old baby and wife home to participate in the 2018 race. He prepared for the Tour de France, but it gradually became evident to him that he was not performing as well as he used to. He decided to lose weight to gain speed, but Mark eventually became obsessed with it. That was the only aspect that he could control, and the immediate result gratified him. He gradually stopped eating altogether, and that impacted his health to a great extent. He returned to the Tour de France in 2018, and no one expected him to break any records. His teammates were anxious; after all, a number of people depended on his success. And as it turned out, 2018 was not his year either. From winning 20 races in a year, the team had barely won 5 in 2018.Team Dimension Data, the then sponsor of Mark, demanded results, and this led to a conflict between the owner, Douglas Ryder, and Mark. On stage 11 of the Tour de France, he failed to make the time cut, and it took him double the time to reach the finish line. He returned to England and focused on training once again. His frustration resulted in anger, which led to conflict between him and Peta. Peta had trouble holding onto their marriage as he started to grow distant. Mark realized that things were slipping out of control, and he decided to consult Dr. Helge Riepenhof. After conducting several tests, it was found that the Epstein-Barr virus was still active in his body. He realized that it was the virus that had weakened him and made it impossible for him to perform better. Instead of being asked to rest, given how risky his condition was, he was allowed to take part in the race. He was also found to be suffering from clinical depression; he struggled to wrap his brain around the diagnosis because he was someone who never believed in the impact of mental health conditions. The doctor advised him to leave his cycling life behind to overcome all that he was going through, but that never seemed to be the solution for Mark.Dr. David Spindler was introduced to Mark during a team training camp. After undergoing various tests at the camp, Mark was found to be underperforming, and his shape was not great either. The feeling of emptiness and worthlessness started to creep in. He was so overwhelmed with self-pity that he did not seem to care about anyone else at the time. Mark traveled to the Isle of Man, where he grew up, and Dr. David followed him. While Mark was hesitant about being treated by a psychologist, it eventually helped him overcome his dark phase. David realized that Mark started cycling during his parents’ divorce. The sport was a way for Mark to get away from life’s complications and enjoy every moment. It was all about evoking the same sense of freedom and joy while cycling again.Not making it to the 2019 Tour de France was devastating for Mark, and Mark and Dimension Data’s journey came to an end. The 2020 lockdown acted as a soothing balm. Mark got the opportunity to spend time with his family, and it brought him closer to Peta and his children. Peta found a ray of hope for their marriage once again. At the 2020 Belgium Classics, Mark was back on track, but he immediately realized that he could not sprint. He was completely shattered, and he took off his race number. He was in tears and announced that he would probably retire.How Did Mark Make A Comeback?
The CEO of Team Soudal Quick-Step, Patrick Lefevere, contacted Mark after watching him break down on camera. He wanted to be there for Mark and offered him a place on his team. Due to a lack of budget, Mark agreed to come with his own sponsor. Mark and his new coach, Vasi, instantly clicked. Vasi’s criticism was direct, and Mark liked it. Mark’s performance started to improve under the guidance of Vasi. The two had almost become family during the training, and it helped Mark to remain positive.Sam Bennett was selected for the 2021 France race, but when he was not fit to participate, Mark replaced him. To everyone’s surprise and delight, Mark made the epic comeback that he had been dreaming of. As a result of his quadruple win at the France Tour, he now shares his dream title with Eddy Merckx. Even though we came third in the finals, he was proud of himself.At the end of Mark Cavendish: Never Enough, Mark states that after enduring the fall, his priorities shifted. He understood that since he had a beautiful family to go home to, losing the race was not the end of the world. The support of the people around him and his own determination brought him back. He still hopes to win as many races as he can, but it seems he will be aiming for balance in his life.
In summary:Cavendish has won 34 Tour de France stages, making him joint first on the all-time list together with Eddy Merckx. With 54 Grand Tour stage victories he is third on the all-time list , and his 162 professional victories – as of 13 April 2024 – rank him joint second of all time.
Fan page by:
social media account