MARK CAVENDISH called time on his legendary cycling career with a stunning victory at the Singapore Criterium.
The British cycling legend, 39, announced on Saturday that today’s Tour de France Criterium in Singapore would be the final race of his incredible career.
ReutersMark Cavendish has retired on a high[/caption]
And the Isle of Man speedster produced an incredible ride to secure a fairytale finish in his final professional race.
Moments after crossing the finish line, an emotional Cavendish told Eurosport: “I realised in the last five laps it was the last 15 kilometres of my career.
“I passed the flamme rouge (which denotes the final kilometre to go) for the last time in my career and I felt that.
“I didn’t race since the Tour de France so I missed that sharpness and, when the guys are here with the lead-out teams.
“It was always going to be difficult, but you see the amazing job that my team, Astana Kazakhstan, did leading me out, I had to go.
“‘I had to let Jasper [Philipse] and Biniam [Girmay] in in the final lap, I was nervous about crashing or something if I fight.
“I really wanted to finish at least my last race.
“I could feel the lead coming, and when I passed Jasper I could feel him speed up, but I really wanted that so bad.
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APMark Cavendish won the UCI Road World Championships in 2011[/caption]
EPACavendish made Tour de France history in July by breaking the record for most stage wins[/caption]
ALAMYThe Isle of Man speedster has an incredible 35 stage wins to his name[/caption]
“I’m so proud to win the Tour de France Prudential Criterium as my last professional race.”
Cavendish calls time on his career following a whopping 166 career victories on the road, in which he won the 2011 UCI World Championships and secured the most Tour de France stage wins.
He permanently etched his name into the Tour’s history books in July by breaking the record of 34 stage wins he previously jointly held with Eddy Merck.
The cycling fan favourite doesn’t know what the immediate future holds for him now that his days as a professional rider are over.
But he plans to give back to the sport which has given him so much over the years.
He said: “I love this sport, I’ve always loved this sport, especially the Tour de France.
“The Tour de France isn’t just a bike race, it’s the biggest annual sporting event in the world.
“It’s what children dream of, it’s what adults dream of, it’s what you pretend to do when you’re out training.
“Cycling’s such a form of freedom, it’s a way to meet people, it’s a way to be alone with your thoughts, it’s a way to be however you want to be.
“It has so much potential as a sport, as a mode of transport, as a pastime, and I truly believe this and I’ve always believed this and I try and do anything I can to help this move forward.
“That won’t stop, even if I’m not riding a bike any more. In fact I might be able to put more into that now.
“I’m really looking forward to what the rest of my career holds, just not on the bike.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better send-off than here.
“To have my wife and my friends here is brilliant. I’m so emotional, I’m so grateful and I hope everyone enjoyed that.”
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