Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish: biography

Mark Cavendish is a British professional road racing cyclist. Cavendish is widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters in the history of cycling. He has achieved numerous victories throughout his career and has won multiple stages in prestigious races such as the Tour de France.

Childhood and youth

Mark Cavendish, born on May 21, 1985, in Douglas, Isle of Man, had a childhood that laid the foundation for his future success as a professional cyclist. From a young age, Cavendish displayed a natural talent and passion for cycling. Growing up on the Isle of Man, he was exposed to the island's rich cycling culture, which played a significant role in shaping his love for the sport.

As a child, Cavendish participated in local races and quickly stood out due to his exceptional speed and determination. His parents recognized his potential and supported his passion by providing him with opportunities to compete and improve his skills. Cavendish's family played a crucial role in nurturing his talent and fostering his development as a cyclist.

During his youth, Cavendish faced various challenges and setbacks, but his determination and drive pushed him to overcome them. He dedicated himself to rigorous training, constantly striving to improve his performance and sprinting abilities. His relentless pursuit of excellence propelled him forward, and he gradually gained recognition within the cycling community.

Cavendish's talent and dedication eventually caught the attention of professional teams, and he signed his first contract with the Belgian team, Quick-Step–Davitamon, in 2005. This marked the beginning of his professional career, and Cavendish's childhood dreams of becoming a successful cyclist were turning into reality.

Overall, Mark Cavendish's childhood and youth laid the groundwork for his future achievements. His love for cycling, supported by his family, coupled with his unwavering determination, set him on the path to becoming one of the greatest sprinters in the history of the sport.

Racing career

In 2005, Mark Cavendish embarked on his professional cycling career as a member of Team Sparkasse. During this period, he participated in notable races such as the Tour de Berlin and the Tour of Britain, gaining valuable experience on the road.

Moving into 2006, Cavendish continued with Team Sparkasse, which served as a developmental team for the T-Mobile Team. In June of that year, he showcased his sprinting prowess by securing two stage victories in the Tour de Berlin. Notably, he also claimed victory in the points classification and sprint competitions, highlighting his versatility and speed.

In addition to his road racing success, Cavendish represented the Isle of Man at the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne. He competed in the scratch race on the track, where he demonstrated his exceptional ability. During the race, Cavendish and three other riders, including England's Rob Hayles, Ashley Hutchinson of Australia, and James McCallum of Scotland, lapped the rest of the field. With Hayles leading him out, Cavendish unleashed his sprint, ultimately securing the gold medal for the Isle of Man. The race was completed in a remarkable time of 23.05, with an average speed of 51.9 km/h (32.2 mph).

Following Mark Cavendish's impressive performance at the 2006 Tour de Berlin, he earned a stagiaire position with the esteemed T-Mobile Team. From August until the conclusion of the season, Cavendish had the opportunity to showcase his talent among some of the best riders in the professional peloton.

During this period, Cavendish's notable achievements extended to the road, particularly in the Tour of Britain. He consistently demonstrated his sprinting prowess by securing two second-place finishes and one third-place finish in different stages of the race. In addition to his podium placements, he also clinched the points classification victory, showcasing his ability to accumulate points through strong performances in intermediate sprints and stage finishes.

Cavendish's success in the Tour of Britain further solidified his reputation as a rising star in professional cycling. His impressive results and consistent performances on the road set the stage for his subsequent accomplishments and propelled him toward a bright future in the sport.

Mark Cavendish's breakthrough came in 2007 when he won the Scheldeprijs race in Belgium. He went on to achieve stage wins at the Four Days of Dunkirk and the Volta a Catalunya, leading to his selection for the Tour de France. Despite crashes and an eventual abandonment in the race, Cavendish secured top-ten placings but aimed for a top-five finish. In his debut season, he won ten stages, just one short of the record for a debut season held by Alessandro Petacchi. Cavendish also found success on the track, winning a gold medal in the madison event at the 2008 world championships with Bradley Wiggins. On the road, he won stages in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, but abandoned the latter to focus on the Olympics, where he finished ninth in the madison. Cavendish concluded the season with further race wins, including victories at the Tour of Ireland and the Tour of Missouri. His time-trial abilities were evident when he won the opening time trial at the Tour de Romandie. These achievements showcased Cavendish's sprinting prowess and established him as a formidable presence in professional cycling.

Mark Cavendish had a successful 2009 season, winning stages at the Tour of Qatar, Tour of California, and Milan-San Remo. He also performed well in the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, winning stages in both races and setting records for British stage wins. In 2010, Cavendish faced challenges but found form at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, securing stage wins and points classifications. In 2011, he won the Tour of Oman, Scheldeprijs, and stages at the Giro d'Italia. He had a phenomenal Tour de France, winning multiple stages and the points classification. Cavendish concluded the year by winning the road race at the UCI Road World Championships. Throughout these seasons, Cavendish established himself as a dominant sprinter and achieved notable successes in prestigious races.

In 2012, Mark Cavendish joined Team Sky and started his season with victories at the Tour of Qatar and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. He had a strong performance at the Giro d'Italia, despite a crash caused by Roberto Ferrari. Cavendish won stages and narrowly missed out on the points classification victory. In the Tour de France, he equaled the record for stage wins and became the most successful sprinter in Tour history. At the Olympics, Cavendish's British team couldn't bring back a breakaway, and he finished 29th in the road race. He later won three stages of the Tour of Britain. Overall, Cavendish showcased his sprinting prowess and had a successful season with notable victories in prestigious races.

In 2012, Mark Cavendish signed a three-year contract with Omega Pharma–Quick-Step. In 2013, he had a strong start, winning stages at the Tour de San Luis and Tour of Qatar. He also achieved victories at the Giro d'Italia, British national road race championship, and Tour de France. In 2014, Cavendish faced some setbacks, including crashing out of the Tour de France, but still managed to win races at the Tour du Poitou-Charentes and Six Days of Zurich. The following year, he had a successful start to the season, winning races at the Dubai Tour, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, and Tour of California. He also secured a stage win at the Tour de France. Cavendish briefly returned to the track, winning the madison event with Bradley Wiggins.

In 2015, Mark Cavendish joined Team Dimension Data. He had a successful 2016 season, winning stages at the Tour of Qatar, Tour de France, and earning a silver medal at the Olympics. In 2017, he faced injury setbacks but returned to form at the Tour de France before withdrawing due to a crash. In 2018, Cavendish dealt with multiple crashes and injuries, including missing the time cut at the Tour de France. He made a comeback in 2019, returning to racing at the Vuelta a San Juan. He was not selected for the Tour de France in 2019 due to strained relations and health issues.

In late 2019, Cavendish joined Bahrain-McLaren and had success in the Six Days of London. In 2020, he made his debut for Bahrain-McLaren at the Tour of Saudi Arabia and had a disrupted season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Cavendish won stages at the Tour of Turkey, Tour of Belgium, and made a comeback at the Tour de France, winning four stages and the points classification. He suffered a crash at the Six Days of Ghent, ending his season. He extended his contract with Deceuninck-Quick-Step for 2022, winning stages at the Tour of Oman, UAE Tour, Milano-Torino, Giro d'Italia, and the British National Road Race Championships. He joined Astana Qazaqstan Team for the 2023 season and announced his intention to retire at the end of the year.

Personal life

On October 5, 2013, Mark Cavendish married model Peta Todd in London. This union made him the stepfather to her son from a previous relationship. Together, Cavendish and Todd have since welcomed four children into their family. They have three homes, including one on the Isle of Man, which Cavendish considers his true home, another in Ongar, Essex, and a training base in Quarrata, Tuscany, Italy.

In November 2021, their house in Essex was unfortunately targeted by robbers armed with knives. The incident was distressing, but justice was served when two men involved in the robbery were subsequently jailed following a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court in February 2023.

Cavendish has been involved in various endeavors beyond his cycling career. In January 2015, he announced the creation of the Rise Above Sportive, a cyclosportive event held in Chester and North Wales starting from August 2015. In recognition of his contributions to cycling, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in science by the University of Chester in November 2015.

However, Cavendish has also faced health challenges. In April 2017, he was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus, which forced him to take a break from racing and recuperate. He made a comeback in time to participate in the 2017 Tour de France. Unfortunately, in August 2018, he was diagnosed with the virus again, leading him to withdraw from training and racing to focus on his recovery.

Books

In June 2009, Cavendish's autobiography "Boy Racer" was published, covering his career up until that point. He described it as more of a biography of his Tour de France stage wins and a way to explain himself better. The book addresses controversies, his relationships with teams and riders, and significant moments in his career, focusing on the stages of the 2008 Tour de France.

In November 2013, Cavendish's second book, "At Speed," was published by Ebury. It picks up where "Boy Racer" left off, covering his career from 2010 to 2013.

In November 2021, Ebury Press released "Tour de Force: My history-making Tour de France," a book that chronicles Cavendish's remarkable comeback and success at the 2021 Tour.

Achievements

2005:

• First Madison UCI Track Cycling World Championships title.

2006:

• Gold in the Scratch Race at the Commonwealth Games.

2007:

• Equaled Petacchi's record for wins in debut season.

2009:

• Won Milan-San Remo, first British rider in pink jersey at Giro d'Italia, broke British Tour de France stage wins record.

2010:

• Won stage in all three Grand Tours, points classification victory in Vuelta a España.

2011:

• Tied record for Scheldeprijs wins, first British rider to win Tour de France points classification, won UCI Road Race World Championship.

2012:

• Four consecutive Champs-Élysées stage wins, most successful Tour de France sprinter.

2013:

• Overall win at Tour of Qatar, 100th professional victory, completed Grand Tour points classifications set.

2015:

• Overall victory at Dubai Tour.

2016:

• Overall victory at Tour of Qatar, Olympic silver in Omnium.

2021:

• 50th Grand Tour stage win, equalled Merckx's Tour de France stage wins record.

Cavendish won the Flandrien Award in 2009 and 2011. He also won the 2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, joining the ranks of Tom Simpson and Chris Hoy as winning cyclists.