Tour de France final stage will ‘likely’ be last race, says Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish finished his final Tour de France in Nice on Sunday, as confirmed by his sports director, Mark Renshaw. The cyclist, known for breaking records in Tour stages, has completed his last race.

Following the last stage of the Tour in Nice, Renshaw, who used to be on the same team, mentioned: "He won't be racing professionally anymore."

In the past, Cavendish had been somewhat reserved. When questioned about retiring, he responded with, "Possibly, yes," but confirmed that this Tour would be his final one with certainty.

Renshaw, who used to work alongside Cavendish during many Grand Tour sprints, praised the length of his career which started back in the 2007 Tour de France. "It's really impressive that Cavendish has been able to maintain such a high level for so many years," he stated.

It is clear that he has a strong desire to succeed, which has been evident across various teams and periods, highlighting his exceptional athletic abilities.

Renshaw said that no one would have thought poorly of the ex-world champion if he had decided to stop competing after winning a record-breaking race in the first week of the Tour. However, a few days later, he was still competing and trying to win a 36th stage. Although he wasn't successful, Renshaw mentioned how disappointed he was. It's clear that he would have preferred to go home, but his dedication to the team kept him going.

As Cavendish exited the spotlight, Tadej Pogacar stepped into the limelight, which is where he seems most comfortable based on his confidence during the last week of the 2024 Tour. "I am overjoyed," expressed the Slovenian rider.

"After facing challenges in the Tour de France for two years, with some errors along the way, this year everything went flawlessly. It's truly unbelievable."

Some individuals might see the Giro as a backup plan in case I fail in the Tour de France. Winning the Tour de France is on a whole new level, and to win both races concurrently is even higher than that level.

Pogacar has either come in first or second in each of the five Tours de France races he has participated in. He expressed his confidence in this latest Grand Tour, stating that he felt assured every day. He reminisced about a challenging day during the Giro, but found the Tour de France to be incredible. Pogacar expressed his joy and satisfaction from the start until the end of the race, attributing his success to the support he received from his team. He felt determined not to disappoint anyone and enjoyed the race for their sake as well.