The fact that Mark Cavendish has earned the title of “greatest sprinter in history” in the world of road bicycle racing is one thing that no one can ever dispute. The fact is that this Isle of Man, England native started riding at the age of 8, but didn’t truly start giving it his all until he was 10 years old, when he got professional at the age of 20 in 2005. Since then, he has truly excelled, whether at the Commonwealth Games, Olympics, World Championships, or Tour de France, where Mark has won 34 stage victories, which ties him with Eddy Merckx for first place on the all-time list.
The athlete’s road up until this moment, however, has not been cosy, simple, or easy sailing in any way, shape, or form, as meticulously documented in Netflix’s “Mark Cavendish: Never Enough.” That’s because he had previously experienced a severe depression as a result of a number of terrifying mishaps, his Epstein-Barr fatigue diagnosis in 2017, and his admission that he determined his value through overall success and performance. Although the cyclist had nearly four awful years in 2021, he was able to make a recovery unlike any other, so now, if you just want to know more about his current situation, we’ve got you covered.
Where is Mark Cavendish Now?
Mark was content to be cycling even though he couldn’t beat Eddy Merckx’s record in the spring of 2021 because he was on the verge of being forced into retirement due to a lack of a contract. At that point, the Belgian global team Soudal-Quick Step entered the picture to provide him what appeared to be one more opportunity to finish strong, but only on the condition that he find his own sponsor and in exchange for a minimal income. Nobody had any idea that he would unexpectedly win four stage races at the Tour of Turkey, giving him his first victories since 2018 and securing him a spot in the Tour de France after a teammate went hurt.
Everyone honestly believed that this tour might serve as a sort of farewell to Mark because he was already in his mid-30s and had clearly battled greatly over the previous few years. He not only performed admirably but also won stages 4, 6, 10, and 13 to increase his overall number of leads for this competition to 34; however, he missed out on #35 on the last stage by placing third. It therefore came as no surprise when this “Manx Missile” later admitted he still had some fight in him, leading to the extension of his contract with Soudal-Quick Step by another year.
Thus, 2022 is the year Mark pushed himself even farther, making him the first British cyclist to win both stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia and the Italian classic Milano-Torino. He had to start 2023 as a free agent, but alas, as predicted, his contract soon came to an end, and Astana Qazaqstan Team immediately moved in with a new offer in mid-January. However, on May 22, 2023, things once again altered when the professional declared his plan to retire at the end of the current campaign in order to devote more time to his personal life and his family.
Mark subsequently won the 21st and final stage of the Giro d’Italia a week later to raise his career total of Grand Tour stage victories to 57, but he was unable to reach his Tour de France milestone in July. Considering that he tragically had to withdraw from the entire competition due to a mishap during stage 8 that left him with a broken collarbone, Astana Qazaqstan has requested that he postpone his retirement for a year. “Manx Missile” is therefore strongly considering making one last comeback in 2024, but nothing has been confirmed as of this writing. This is because the great, potential 35th Tour de France stage win hangs in front of his face.
Mark is actually “really happy” with the Netflix original documentary that examines both his life and profession. “I feel it shows [a] good representation of the real me, which anyone wants in a film about them,” he recently stated. Real representation is what you want, whether it be for good or evil. I completely exposed myself in the process. Additionally, he acknowledges that when he was struggling with melancholy, he “learned things from the film from [my wife] Peta’s perspective. The things that harmed her the most struck home the hardest.
As a result, Mark obviously seems to have changed, and the most obvious sign of this is his lack of anger towards the media even when they ask him personal questions about his past. As an alternative, he merely retorted, “I don’t think anybody can sit and claim they wouldn’t go back and modify bits and pieces here and there. You can’t, though. You can only shape yourself for where you want to go by using the lessons you learn from both your good and negative actions.
Mark clarified in another interview that he truly thought depression “was an excuse, something you could snap out of. I never knew how people could suffer, even when they stated they did. It’s the alone situation you’re in. That could inspire a variety of ideas. It doesn’t matter where you are in life, what you do for a living, or where you come from. People can identify with the topic of a chemical imbalance in this story. Even though you may feel so alone, talking to someone would likely reveal how much you have in common.
As a result, the professional cyclist hopes to demonstrate in this film “how depression can affect anyone in the world,” and that they are not alone in this. There are others in much worse situations than me, he said. I don’t lament my own shortcomings. I feel really fortunate to have had the life I had. I would never want it to happen to anyone, but I now get why. Would I rather not have experienced pain? No doubt. But I’m glad I can comprehend. This is how he also came to understand what was important in his life: “Winning bike races is what I do for a living, and I really love it, don’t get me wrong. It is still my job, though. My primary responsibilities right now are as a husband and a father.
