LEFT HIS MARK
Brit cycling legend Mark Cavendish wins final race of career as he retires at 39 and reveals ‘I’m so proud’
The British cycling legend produced a fairytale finish in the final ride of his career
MARK CAVENDISH called time on his legendary cycling career with a stunning victory at the Singapore Criterium.
The British cycling titan, 39, announced on Saturday that today's Tour de France Criterium in Singapore would be the final race of his incredible career.
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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) 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.
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"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 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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"I'm so proud to win the Tour de France Prudential Criterium as my last professional race."
Cavendish calls time on his stunning road career following a whopping 166 victories, in which he won the 2011 UCI World Championships and secured the record for most Tour de France stage wins.
British legend Mark Cavendish, 39, breaks Tour de France record for most stage wins ever after thrilling sprint finish
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 Belgian Eddy Merckx.
Cavendish, who will go down as one of the greatest British cyclists ever, doesn't know what the immediate future holds for him.
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.
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"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.
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"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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