Mark Cavendish completes fairytale ending to historic career at Tour de France

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Happy endings are not very common in sports, but for Sir Mark Cavendish, his last Tour de France was the ideal way to end a remarkable career.

The Manxman clinched his 35th career Tour stage victory on the fifth day in Saint-Vulbas. This achievement was the result of tireless effort and dedication from Cavendish, his loved ones, and his Astana-Qazaqstan squad.

Cavendish did not win any more stages after that, but he achieved his goal early on. At 39 years old, he enjoyed his last days in a race that had a significant impact on his career. He high-fived fans, took pictures, and enjoyed the excitement of being part of the largest cycling race in the world.

Tadej Pogacar has been very successful in the race while wearing the yellow jersey. He has won six stages this year, bringing his total number of stage wins to 17 at just 25 years old.

Maybe someone from Slovenia will surpass Cavendish's record in the future, but even if they do, it doesn't seem probable that we will see another cyclist as talented as the Manx Missile in the near future.

Cavendish achieved his most recent Tour stage victory after a gap of 16 years since his initial win. This accomplishment showcases his ability to remain competitive across different eras of cycling. In 2008, Cavendish won his first stage, with Erik Zabel finishing third. Fast forward to 2021, Cavendish secured another victory, triumphing over Erik's son Rick and others.

During his peak years, Cavendish was a dominant force that could not be stopped - considered the best sprinter in the history of cycling.

From 2007 to 2015, Cavendish achieved 133 wins, which included the 2011 world championship, stages in all three Grand Tours, Milan-Sanremo in 2009, and many other accomplishments.

Surpassing Eddy Merckx's record appeared inevitable. However, what has truly set Cavendish's journey apart in recent times is the determination he and his support system have demonstrated in the face of numerous obstacles that may have caused other athletes to quit.

In most interviews with Cavendish, he often talks about his family and how he instills in his children the value of perseverance. This mindset has been a central part of his life for a long time.

After he won four stages of the 2016 Tour, bringing his total to 30, Cavendish was hit with a sudden diagnosis of the Epstein-Barr virus. This was the beginning of a chain of difficult events that eventually led to him being diagnosed with clinical depression.

His professional journey seemed like it was coming to an end when he had difficulty securing a contract at the conclusion of the 2020 season, which was heavily impacted by the pandemic.

He made a strong comeback by winning four stages of the 2021 Tour, despite racing for Deceuninck-QuickStep on a low salary. These victories were his first in the Tour in five years, putting him on par with Merckx in one of the sport's most remarkable stories of a comeback.

Cavendish's contract drama continued even after the 2022 season ended. The team he intended to sign with, B&B Hotels, fell apart.

Moving to Astana-Qazaqstan may have seemed like an unusual choice, but the team made up for their lack of sprinting experience with the unwavering support of team manager Alexander Vinokourov. He was determined to ensure that Cavendish could retire on his own terms.

In the previous summer, Cavendish was expected to participate in his last Tour de France, as his retirement was confirmed during the Giro d'Italia in May.

However, when he had a fall during stage eight without achieving his 35th win, Cavendish's wife Peta and Vinokourov were the first to encourage him to continue racing for one more season. Peta emphasized that there should be no regrets in retirement.

Afterwards, Astana-Qazaqstan fully committed to 'Project 35', enlisting Cavendish's former colleagues Michael Morkov and Davide Ballerini to support him in his sprints and spending substantial amounts of money to ensure every aspect of his gear was optimized.

Everything came together in Saint-Vulbas, marking the pinnacle of an impressive career and was even more memorable due to the way Cavendish achieved it.