British cycling great Mark Cavendish wins final race in Singapore

FRANCE 24

10 November 2024 at 5:49 am·1-min read

One last wave: Mark Cavendish (C) celebrates as he crosses the line to win his farewell race, the Singapore Criterium.

Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory on Sunday in the Tour de France Singapore Criterium with a signature surge to the line in his last-ever professional race.

Mark Cavendish ended his remarkable 19-year career with a win on Sunday, taking his final professional race with a sprint finish at the Tour de France Criterium in Singapore.

"I really wanted that so bad," the 39-year-old cycling great from Britain said after the 166th victory of his glorious career.

"I'm terribly emotional.

"I realised in the last five laps that this was the last 15 kilometres of my career and I felt that, but I was so much on the limit."

Coming out of the last bend, Cavendish, who holds the record for most stage wins on the Tour de France, briefly latched onto the wheel of defending champion Jasper Philipsen before pulling away.

Cavendish had time to glance back before raising his arms in triumph one last time, to deafening cheers from the crowd who had gathered for the race.

Philipsen took second place with his Belgian compatriot Arnaud De Lie finishing third.

The criterium, organised by the Tour de France, covered 25 laps of a street circuit in hot and humid Singapore.

"I was nervous about crashing, or something like that," said Cavendish, after the final act in a career spanning 19 years.

"Not that there is anything wrong with that but I really wanted to finish.

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