Tour de France 'likely' to be final race - Cavendish

Legendary British cyclist Mark Cavendish says this year's Tour de France is likely to have been his last ever race.

The sprinter won a record 35th Tour de France stage in the first week of this year's edition, going one clear of Belgian Eddy Merckx's long-standing record - which Cavendish equalled in 2021.

Last year was supposed to be his 14th and final Tour, but he delayed his retirement and signed a contract extension with the Astana Qazaqstan Team until the end of the 2024 season.

Asked after the final stage of this year's Tour if he had finished his final race Cavendish said "likely so, yes".

The British 39-year-old is the Tour de France's greatest sprinter and has also twice won the green jersey.

He had feared his career could be over, and battles with illness, injuries and depression contributed to him not winning once during 2019 and 2020.

Left out of the 2022 Tour and seemingly out of contract at the end of that year, he joined Astana Qazaqstan at the last minute for 2023.

Cavendish, who won his first Tour de France stage in 2008, has enjoyed a glittering career as a sprinter, taking victories on the flatter, faster stages of races, particularly in the Grand Tours.

He has won 165 races since 2005 and the points classification at all three Grand Tours.

Cavendish's other major achievements include an omnium silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 2011 Road World Championships rainbow jersey, the 2009 Milano-San Remo 'monument' one-day classic, 16 stage wins in the Giro d'Italia and three in the Vuelta a Espana.

Having not won at the Tour since 2018, Cavendish first hinted at retirement at the end of the 2020 season but returned to form the following year - winning four Tour stages and the green jersey in his second spell with the successful Quick Step team.

Cavendish and his family were the victims of a violent robbery at their home in 2021.

He was omitted from Quick Step's Tour squad the following year, after which he signed for Astana Qazaqstan.

On stage five of this year's edition he created history, blasting past his rivals in a sensational sprint finish in Saint Vulbas.

Reacting to Cavendish's historic win, former team-mate and good friend Geraint Thomas said: "It's unbelievable, I am super happy for him. It is great he has the record alone and is not sharing it with anyone."