Mark Cavendish facts for kids
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Cavendish at the 2012 Tour de France
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Mark Simon Cavendish | ||
| Nickname | Manx Missile | ||
| Born | 21 May 1985 Douglas, Isle of Man |
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| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb; 11 st 0 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Sprinter | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Sir Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a famous retired Manx professional road racing cyclist. He is known as a sprinter, which means he is super fast at the end of races. Many people think he is one of the best sprinters ever. The director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, even called him "the greatest sprinter in the history of the Tour and of cycling."
Mark Cavendish holds the amazing record for the most stage wins in the Tour de France, with 35 victories! He achieved these wins over 15 Tours and 17 years, from 2008 to 2024. He also competed in track cycling, where he was great at events like the madison and scratch race.
In his early career, Cavendish won gold medals in the madison at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2005 and 2008. He also won a scratch race gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Later, in 2016, he won another madison world title and an individual silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
As a road cyclist, Mark Cavendish became a professional in 2005. He has won a total of 55 Grand Tour stages, which is one of the highest totals ever. He also won the men's road race in 2011, becoming only the second British rider to do so. Cavendish has won the points classification (often called the "green jersey" in the Tour de France) in all three Grand Tours: the Vuelta a España (2010), the Tour de France (2011 and 2021), and the Giro d'Italia (2013). He was also the first person to win the final Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France four years in a row.
Mark Cavendish has received special honors for his achievements. In 2011, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to British Cycling. He also won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2011. In June 2024, he was given an even higher honor, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his contributions to cycling and his charity work.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming a Rider
Mark Cavendish was born in Douglas, Isle of Man. His dad, David, was from the Isle of Man, and his mum, Adele, was from England. He started riding Bicycle motocross (BMX) bikes when he was very young. He would race at the National Sports Centre in Douglas.
When he was nine, he joined his local cycling club. His coaches quickly saw how determined he was. His former coach, Dot Tilbury, said, "He didn't like losing." He often won races by a lot, even lapping other riders. Mark himself said he was always riding a bike, even if he wasn't winning at first. He got a mountain bike for his 13th birthday and started beating everyone the very next day! Around this time, he met British cyclist David Millar, who inspired him.
After school, Cavendish worked in a bank for two years. He saved money to try and become a professional cyclist. In 2003, he joined British Cycling's Olympic Academy for young riders. Even though he wasn't the fittest at first, his potential was clear. In March 2004, he got his first win in a senior race, the Girvan Three Day. While at the academy, he also won two gold medals at the 2003 Island Games.
The academy had strict rules, but Mark liked it. The young riders learned to manage money, cook, and clean. It was like a "boot camp style training regime." In 2005, he won a gold medal in the madison event at the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Los Angeles with his partner, Rob Hayles. This was his first world title. He also won the European championship points race that year.
Professional Cycling Career
Starting Out: Team Sparkasse and T-Mobile (2005–2008)
Mark Cavendish became a professional cyclist in 2005 with Team Sparkasse. In 2006, he won two stages in the Tour de Berlin. He also won a gold medal for the Isle of Man in the scratch race.
His big breakthrough came in 2007 when he won the 2007 Scheldeprijs race in Belgium. He then won stages in other races, which led to him being chosen for the 2007 Tour de France. He had some crashes and had to leave the race early, but he was determined to do better.
In 2008, Cavendish returned to track cycling for the world championships. He teamed up with Bradley Wiggins in the madison event. They were favorites and won the gold medal! On the road, Cavendish won his first stages in a Grand Tour race, with two wins in the 2008 Giro d'Italia and four stages in the 2008 Tour de France. He left the Tour de France early to focus on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but he and Wiggins finished ninth in the madison.
Columbia–High Road and HTC–Highroad (2009–2011)
The 2009 season was a huge success for Cavendish. He won two stages at the 2009 Tour of Qatar and two more at the 2009 Tour of California. He then won his first "monument" race, Milan–San Remo, which is one of the biggest one-day races in cycling.
At the start of the 2009 Giro d'Italia, his team won the team time trial, and Cavendish got to wear the pink leader's jersey. He won three stages in the Giro before leaving to get ready for the 2009 Tour de France.
In the 2009 Tour de France, he won an incredible six stages! He became the first British rider to wear the green jersey (for points) two days in a row. He also broke the British record for most Tour de France stage wins. He worked closely with his teammate, Mark Renshaw, who helped him win many sprints.
In 2010, after a slow start due to a dental problem, Cavendish found his form again. He won five stages in the 2010 Tour de France, bringing his total to 15 Tour stage wins. He also won three stages and the points classification in the 2010 Vuelta a España.
The 2011 season was another fantastic year. He won stages in the 2011 Tour of Oman and his third 2011 Scheldeprijs. In the 2011 Giro d'Italia, he won two stages. He then won five stages in the 2011 Tour de France, bringing his total to 20 Tour stage wins. He also became the first British cyclist to win the points classification (the green jersey).
Later in 2011, racing for Great Britain, he won the London–Surrey Cycle Classic, which was a test event for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He also won two stages in the 2011 Tour of Britain. The biggest win of the year came at the UCI Road World Championships in Copenhagen. After his team controlled the race, Cavendish won the sprint finish, taking the rainbow jersey and becoming a world champion!
Team Sky (2012)
In 2012, Mark Cavendish joined Team Sky. He won his first race for them at the 2012 Tour of Qatar. He also won the 2012 Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne race. In the 2012 Giro d'Italia, he won three stages. He completed the Giro but narrowly missed winning the points classification.
In the 2012 Tour de France, Cavendish won three stages. He took on a supporting role for his teammate Bradley Wiggins, who was trying to win the overall race. Cavendish won the final stage on the Champs-Élysées for a record fourth year in a row, making him the most successful sprinter in Tour history with 23 stage wins at that time. He was also the first person to win on the Champs-Élysées while wearing the rainbow jersey of a world champion.
His main goal for 2012 was the road race at the Olympics in London. A strong British team worked to help him win, but a large group of riders broke away, and Cavendish couldn't catch them, finishing 29th. He later won three stages of the 2012 Tour of Britain.
Omega Pharma–Quick-Step (2013–2015)
In 2013, Cavendish joined Omega Pharma–Quick-Step. He started strong, winning a stage in Argentina and then the overall 2013 Tour of Qatar with four stage wins.
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In May, he won the first stage of the 2013 Giro d'Italia, wearing the pink jersey again. He went on to win four more stages, including his 100th professional victory! By winning the points classification in the Giro, he became only the fifth rider ever to win the points classification in all three Grand Tours (Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España).
On 23 June, Cavendish won the British national road race championship in Glasgow. In the 2013 Tour de France, he won two more stages, bringing his Tour de France stage wins to 25. He also returned to track cycling for the first time since the 2008 Olympics, showing he might compete in the 2016 Olympics. He won three stages in the 2013 Tour of Britain.
The 2014 season was quieter for Cavendish. He won four stages and the points classification at the 2014 Tour of Turkey. In the first stage of the 2014 Tour de France, which started in Yorkshire, England, he crashed and had to leave the race with a shoulder injury. He ended the year with 11 wins but no Grand Tour stage victories.
In 2015, he had a great start, winning five races by mid-February, including two stages and the overall title at the 2015 Dubai Tour. He also won 2015 Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne for the second time. He won three stages at the 2015 Tour of Turkey and four stages at the 2015 Tour of California. At the 2015 Tour de France, he won stage seven, his 26th Tour de France win. He also returned to track cycling, winning the madison with Bradley Wiggins.
Team Dimension Data (2016–2019)
In 2016, Cavendish joined Team Dimension Data. He won the overall 2016 Tour of Qatar for the second time. He also won the madison world title with Bradley Wiggins at the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. In April, he won a stage at the 2016 Tour of Croatia.
On 2 July, he won the first stage of the 2016 Tour de France, wearing the famous yellow jersey for the very first time! He went on to win three more stages in that Tour, bringing his total to 30 Tour stage victories. He left the Tour early to get ready for the Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, he finally won his first Olympic medal, a silver in the men's omnium track event.
After the Olympics, he continued track racing, teaming up with Bradley Wiggins again. They won the Six Days of Ghent.
In 2017, Cavendish won the opening stage of the 2017 Abu Dhabi Tour. However, he was later diagnosed with Epstein–Barr virus, which made him unable to race for a while. He returned for the 2017 Tour de France but crashed out on stage four due to an incident with another rider, Peter Sagan, and broke his shoulder blade.
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The 2018 season was tough for Cavendish. He started by winning a stage at the 2018 Dubai Tour. However, he had several crashes, injuring his shoulder and ribs, which forced him to abandon races. He started the 2018 Tour de France but was disqualified after not finishing stage eleven within the time limit. He was diagnosed with the Epstein–Barr virus again in August 2018.
In 2019, Cavendish returned to racing but was not chosen for the 2019 Tour de France. This was very upsetting for him, as he had competed in every Tour since 2007.
Bahrain–McLaren (2020)
In late 2019, Cavendish signed with Bahrain–McLaren for the 2020 season. His hopes of competing in the madison at the 2020 Olympics were dashed when he wasn't selected for key qualifying events. His racing schedule was also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He rode in some classic races in the autumn and felt good about his performance, saying he wanted to continue racing for a few more seasons.
Deceuninck–Quick-Step (2021–2022)
In December 2020, Cavendish announced he was rejoining Deceuninck–Quick-Step for the 2021 season.
In April 2021, he won four stages of the 2021 Presidential Tour of Turkey. In June, he won a stage at the 2021 Tour of Belgium. When his teammate Sam Bennett was injured, Cavendish was chosen as the lead sprinter for the 2021 Tour de France. He won four stages (stages four, six, ten, and thirteen), bringing his total Tour de France stage victories to 34. This made him the joint record holder with the legendary Eddy Merckx! He also won the points classification (green jersey) for the second time.
His 2021 season ended suddenly when he crashed in a track event, the Six Days of Ghent, suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung. In December, he extended his contract with the team for another year.
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In 2022, Cavendish won a stage at the 2022 Tour of Oman and another at the 2022 UAE Tour. In March, he became the first British cyclist to win the Italian classic Milano–Torino. In May, he competed in the 2022 Giro d'Italia and won the third stage, his 16th Giro stage win. The following month, he won his second British National Road Race Championships title.
Astana Qazaqstan Team (2023–2024)
In January 2023, Cavendish signed with Astana Qazaqstan Team. During the 2023 Giro d'Italia, he announced he planned to retire at the end of the 2023 season. A week later, he won the final stage of the Giro, bringing his total Giro stage wins to 17.
In July 2023, Cavendish hoped to break the Tour de France stage win record but crashed out of the race on stage eight. In October, he changed his mind about retiring and decided to continue with Astana for the 2024 season, hoping to break the record then.
On 14 June 2024, it was announced that Cavendish would receive a knighthood. On 3 July 2024, he achieved his 35th Tour de France stage win on stage five, finally breaking the all-time record! On 2 October 2024, he officially received his knighthood at Windsor Castle. Mark Cavendish ended his amazing career with a victory at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore on 10 November 2024, becoming the most successful sprinter in cycling history.
Riding Style and Incidents
Mark Cavendish is known for his aggressive and powerful sprinting style. Sometimes, this led to incidents during races. For example, in the 2009 Tour de France, he was penalized for riding too close to another cyclist, Thor Hushovd. In 2010, he caused a crash in the Tour de Suisse, which injured other riders. He was fined and received a time penalty. Some riders protested his riding style, saying he lacked respect.
In 2013, he was involved in another incident in the Tour de France where he bumped a Dutch rider, Tom Veelers, causing him to fall. In 2014, he caused a crash in the Tour de France again. In 2016, he apologized for a crash involving South Korean cyclist Park Sang-hoon at the Olympics.
Cavendish has been described as very confident. In 2008, he said that when journalists asked if he was the best sprinter, he would say "Yes," but only if asked. He also has an amazing photographic memory for race routes. He can remember every detail of a course, which helps him plan his sprints perfectly.
Personal Life
On 5 October 2013, Mark Cavendish married model Peta Todd. He became a stepfather to her son, and they now have four children together. He has homes on the Isle of Man, in Essex, England, and a training base in Italy. In November 2021, his home in Essex was robbed.
In January 2015, Cavendish started the "Rise Above Sportive," a cycling event for fun in Chester and North Wales. In November 2015, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Chester for his contributions to cycling. He was diagnosed with the Epstein–Barr virus in 2017 and again in 2018, which affected his training and racing.
Books About Mark Cavendish
In June 2009, Mark Cavendish's first autobiography, Boy Racer, was published. He said he wrote it to explain himself better, especially after races when he might have seemed arrogant in interviews. The book covered his career up to that point.
In November 2013, his second book, At Speed, was published. This book continued his story from 2010 to 2013. In November 2021, he released Tour de Force: My history-making Tour de France, which focused on his amazing return to success at the 2021 Tour de France.
Legacy
Mark Cavendish retired from professional cycling after winning a race in Saint Vulbas in July 2024. During his career, he won 165 professional races and a record 35 Tour de France stages. For his incredible achievements, BBC Sports honored him with the Lifetime Achievement award in December 2024.
Also in December 2024, the Isle of Man Post Office released a special collection of stamps to honor Sir Mark Cavendish, known as "The Manx Missile." The stamps show pictures of his key moments, like representing the Isle of Man at the Commonwealth Games, being part of Great Britain's Olympic team, and competing in the Tour de France. The collection also shares details about his amazing career and famous victories.
Career achievements
See also
In Spanish: Mark Cavendish para niños
- Mark Cavendish: Never Enough
- Chasing Legends
- List of British cyclists
- List of British cyclists who have led the Tour de France general classification
- List of Giro d'Italia classification winners
- List of Manx people
- List of Tour de France secondary classification winners
- List of Vuelta a España classification winners
