Cavendish ended his record-breaking Tour de France on Sunday. He admitted that he had "probably" raced the last race of his career. He set his record on the fifth stage of this year's race in Saint-Vulbas, 16 years after his first success. 

The 39-year-old Briton claimed a historic 35th stage win in this year's Tour, surpassing Eddy Merckx, who is regarded as the greatest cyclist in history. Asked at the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice if the 2024 Tour was his last day in the saddle, Cavendish said, "Probably."

He had to work hard to get to the line before the time limit on several occasions during the mountain stages. It has been a constant throughout his career, always fighting for the time in the mountains, but then being the frontrunner for the win in the flat stages.

"I am absorbing what is happening to me. I let go of a lot of emotions on Saturday. Now I can really enjoy it," he said, before receiving a warm tribute from the Tour. He then embraced his two children and his wife at the finish line. He was then honoured by the organisers on the official podium.

Last year was supposed to be his 14th and final Tour, but he delayed his retirement. He signed a contract extension with the Astana-Qazaqstan team until the end of the 2024 season. He did not want to retire without his coveted 35th stage win, which would surpass all his records.

Not only for his Tour success, but also for his World Championship victory and countless victories across the professional calendar, his record is enviable. His numerous Tour victories earned him the green jersey in the points classification twice, in 2011 and 2021.

His career has been a personal and professional hell, with injuries and a lack of mental strength, particularly in 2019 and 2020, when he failed to win a single race. He fell into a depression that was very difficult to get out of. It affected his family life and he retreated, unsure if he could come out of this dark place.

Excluded from the 2022 Tour because he was not considered fit, he was almost left without a team. In 2023, he joined Astana at the last minute. However, fate had it that he crashed out of the race on the eighth stage of the 2023 Tour. Nobody was betting on him, but the Briton was back in the sprint and outclassed everyone on stage five of the Tour.

No one has won more stages in the Tour than Cavendish. No one has won more on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the traditional finale of the Tour since 1975, which will move to Nice in 2024. There, in front of the Arc de Triomphe, he won four years in a row, from 2009 to 2012.

Cavendish won his first Tour de France stage in 2008, and since 2005 has amassed 165 victories and the points classification in all three Grand Tours: Giro, Tour and Vuelta. His triumphs are endless. He won a silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and was world champion in 2011. He has won 35 stages in the Tour, 17 in the Giro and three in the Vuelta. He is also a winner of the 'Classicissima', the Milan-San Remo, the most important classic race.

When he stopped winning the Tour in 2018, his toughest moments came. He struggled to find a team and Quick-Step gave him a chance that he did not waste, winning four stages and the green jersey in 2021.

He also won three world titles on the track in Madison. He also won gold in the scratch race at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, representing the Isle of Man.