Mark Cavendish has announced that he will retire from professional cycling at the end of the 2023 season, after a glittering 17-year career that made him one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
The 38-year-old confirmed his decision at a press conference on Monday’s rest day at the Giro d’Italia, where he is racing for his new team, Astana Qazaqstan. He said it was the “perfect time” to reveal his plans.
“I’ve loved every moment of this race so far, so I feel it’s the perfect time to say it’s my last Giro d’Italia and 2023 will be my last season as a pro cyclist,” he said.
One of Cavendish’s final goals as a pro will be to break the record for the most Tour de France stage wins. He currently has 34, tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx. He will make his final appearance at the Tour this July with Astana Qazaqstan.
Cavendish was joined by his wife, Peta, and his children at the press conference. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family and enjoy other aspects of life after cycling.
“Cycling has been my life for over 25 years. I’ve lived a dream,” Cavendish said. “The bike has given me the chance to see the world and meet amazing people, many of whom are my friends. I love the sport more than you can imagine and I won’t be far from it, that’s for sure.”
“When you realize it’s not forever, it’s easier to enjoy every feeling this sport has to offer.”
“Today is my son Casper’s fifth birthday, and I’m lucky it’s a rest day and I can be with him. I think it’s important now that I can be there for every birthday for my wife Peta and all our kids,” he added.
“It’s important I can see all their school concerts and support them in their sports and hobbies. It’s important I can run around with them without fear of injury or illness.”
Cavendish turned pro in 2007 and has won 161 races, including stages at all three Grand Tours, the 2011 World Championships, Milan-San Remo in 2009 and three Madison world titles on the track. He also won a silver medal in the Omnium at the 2016 Olympics.
In 2020, Cavendish’s career seemed to be fading away. But he made a remarkable comeback in 2021 with his former team Quick-Step, winning four stages and the green jersey at the Tour de France. He left Quick-Step at the end of 2022 and joined Astana Qazaqstan after a turbulent transfer season.
Cavendish is still chasing his first win for Astana, but he has been close several times at this year’s Giro, finishing third and fourth on two stages. He also finished third at Scheldeprijs in the spring. He will have one more chance to win a stage at the Giro on Wednesday in Caorle.
Cavendish said he was not obsessed with breaking Merckx’s record at the Tour this summer, but he would always race to win.
“If I had 45 wins at the Tour de France, I’d still go to the Tour de France to win,” he said. “If I had 18, I’d look for 19.”
We took a look back at Cavendish’s career in pictures when he signed for Astana earlier this year.
