One of Britain’s most successful cyclists, Mark Cavendish, will retire at the end of the season.

Speaking at the Giro d’Italia press conference, Cavendish, 38, said: “Cycling has been my life for more than 25 years.

“It taught me a lot about life, dedication, loyalty, sacrifice and perseverance – all important things to pass on now as a father.”

He added: “The bike gave me the opportunity to see the world and meet incredible people both in and out of the sport – many of whom I would call friends.

“Today is my son Casper’s fifth birthday; it’s a day off and I can spend it with them now. Now it’s important to be there for every birthday, every school concert – it’s important that I be there for them .”

A brilliant career with a fairytale ending

Cavendish enjoyed a stellar career as a sprinter, winning on the flat, fast stages of the race, especially in the Grand Tours.

Since 2005, he has won 161 games and won two Green Dot jerseys on tour.

Cavendish’s other key achievements include an omnium silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, a rainbow jersey at the 2011 Road World Championships, the 2009 Milan-Sanremo “Monument” one-day classic, 16 Giro d’Italia stage wins and 3 Spanish Cycling Champion.

He is currently racing the Giro d’Italia, which ends in Rome on Sunday, heading to Astana Kazakhstan.

Cavendish has suffered injuries since 2017, suggesting he may retire after the 2020 season.

But after returning to form the following year, he helped reinvigorate his career by winning four Tour stages and a second career green jersey with the successful Quick Step team.

Cavendish and his family were a victim violent robbery 2021 at their home.

He was eliminated by Quick Step’s tour team the following year, after which he signed with Astana Kazakhstan until 2023.

This year’s race starts in Bilbao, Spain, on July 1, where he will attempt to break the Tour stage win record.

He added: “This is a fantastic opportunity and I can say with great joy that this will be my last season as a professional cyclist.

“There is no need to talk about my short-term and long-term plans now – I will always be a cyclist, that’s for sure.

“But at this final stage, I just want to enjoy what has made me happy for the past 25 years, which is racing.”

isle of man missile

Cavendish, from the Isle of Man, showed promise as a BMX and mountain bike rider before becoming part of a new era of British cycling investment that saw British cycling dominate track cycling at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Cavendish began his career with T-Mobile’s feeder team in 2005 and won his first tour stage win for Columbia in 2008.

Throughout his career, he was known as the “Manx Missile” due to his incredible speed in group sprints.

At 5-foot-7, he has a low center of gravity that allows him to occupy an aerodynamic position on the bike when bursting at high speeds.

Cavendish dominated the sprint for many years and is thought to have had a major influence on the entire group of young drivers, including British rookies such as Quick Step’s Ethan Vernon.

Cavendish has been known to have a fiery personality both on and off the bike, and during the 2021 Tour he was photographed berating team mechanics before a stage.

Former Quick Step coach Tom Stills told BBC Sport last year: “When he gets out of the team car, you never know if he’s going to come back in five minutes like a bison because something went wrong with the bike.

“But you can always talk to him and once it’s resolved, it’s over. It’s not personal, but you never know how he’s going to react.”

Cavendish is hugely popular with the peloton and has defended fiercely the driver who has been criticized.

Stephen Parker, Performance Director of British Cycling, said: “Without a doubt, Rider is the sport’s greatest sprinter and he will be remembered by fans around the world for his 53 Grand Tour stage victories.

“What stands out about Cavaliers as an athlete is the overwhelming pride he displays every time he dons the British Cycling and British National Champions jersey – a quality we hope to instill in every member of our team. a member.”