Mark Cavendish to retire at end of season

Mark Cavendish, 1 of Britain's astir palmy cyclists, volition discontinue astatine the extremity of the season.

Cavendish, 38, enjoyed a glittering vocation arsenic a sprinter, taking victories connected the flatter, faster stages of races, peculiarly successful the Grand Tours.

He has won 161 races since 2005 and 2 greenish points jerseys astatine the Tour.

Cavendish's different large achievements see an omnium metallic medal astatine the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2011 Road World Championships rainbow jersey, the 2009 Milano-San Remo 'monument' one-day classic, 16 signifier wins successful the Giro d'Italia and 3 successful the Vuelta a Espana.

He is presently riding for Astana Qazaqstan successful the Giro, which ends successful Rome connected Sunday.

Cavendish experienced wounded and unwellness from 2017, hinting astatine the extremity of the 2020 play that helium could retire.

But pursuing a instrumentality to signifier the pursuing twelvemonth helium won 4 much Tour stages and the greenish jersey successful his 2nd spell with the palmy Quick Step team, who helped reinvigorate his career.

Cavendish and his household were the victims of a violent robbery astatine their location successful 2021.

He was omitted from Quick Step's Tour squad the pursuing year, aft which helium signed for Astana Qazaqstan for 2023.

He volition effort to interruption the Tour signifier triumph grounds astatine this year's race, which begins successful Bilbao, Spain, connected 1 July.

The Manx Missile

Cavendish, from the Isle of Man, showed committedness arsenic a BMX and upland motorcycle rider, and was past portion of the caller epoch of concern successful cycling successful Britain, which saw British Cycling predominate way cycling astatine the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Cavendish began his nonrecreational vocation successful 2005 successful a feeder squad for T-Mobile, winning his archetypal Tour signifier successful 2008 for Team Columbia.

He was known passim his vocation arsenic the 'Manx Missile' connected relationship of his blistering finishing velocity during clump sprints.

At 5ft 7in, helium has a debased centre of gravity and tin follow an aerodynamically advantageous presumption connected the motorcycle during almighty bursts of speed.

Cavendish dominated sprinting for galore years and is considered a large power connected younger riders crossed the peloton, including caller British talents specified arsenic Quick Step's Ethan Vernon.

Cavendish is known to person a fiery persona connected and occasionally disconnected the bike, and during the 2021 Tour helium was filmed berating a squad mechanic earlier a stage.

Former Quick Step manager Tom Steels told BBC Sport past year: "When helium steps retired of the squad autobus you ne'er cognize if he'll travel backmost successful 5 minutes similar a chaotic bull due to the fact that thing is incorrect with the bike.

"But you tin ever speech with him and erstwhile it's fixed it's over. It's not ever personal, but you ne'er cognize however helium tin react."

Cavendish is immensely fashionable successful the peloton and fiercely defends chap riders who travel successful for criticism.

He alluded to ending his vocation past twelvemonth erstwhile helium told BBC Sport: "I privation to beryllium much of a begetter and a hubby than I tin beryllium erstwhile I'm connected the roadworthy - walk immoderate clip astatine home, bash mean things and spot my kids turn up."