Cycling - Tour de France Singapore Criterium - Singapore - November 10, 2024 Astana Qazaqstan Team's Mark Cavendish celebrates after crossing the line to win the race REUTERS/Edgar Su
(Reuters) - Mark Cavendish won his final professional race, at the two-day Tour de France Criterium in Singapore on Sunday, bringing down the curtain on his glittering 19-year career with a sprint finish.
The 39-year-old Briton clinched his 166th career win after crossing the line of the 25-lap 2.3-km course in the Singapore Criterium. Cavendish wore the number 35, symbolising his record for Tour de France stage wins.
Cavendish, the world's most decorated sprinter, announced his retirement last year before reversing that decision and breaking the all-time record for most stage wins at the Tour de France during this year's race.
"I’m quite emotional," Cavendish said. "I realised in the last five laps it was the last 15km of my career.
"I was nervous about crashing or something if I fight (for the lead). I really wanted that so bad. I've always loved this sport.
"I'm really looking forward to what the rest of my career holds, just not on a bike, and I'm looking forward to seeing everybody soon."
The Briton won an individual silver medal on the track at the 2016 Rio Olympics and claimed three world titles in the Madison discipline.
Cavendish's career victories included the 35 Tour de France stage wins — one more than Eddy Merckx -- plus 17 Giro d'Italia stage wins and three in the Vuelta a Espana. He also claimed the 2011 road world title and was knighted in October.
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)
