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Mark Cavendish fights back tears as he nearly gives up after winning little-known Tour de France prize

Tears flow Mark Cavendish believes his glorious cycling career is over after finishing the Tour de France with a special prize.

The Manx Missile, who has won a record 35 stages in cycling’s premier event, sealed his likely retirement with a tender kiss from wife Peta.

Mark Cavendish’s wife Peta seals the emotional momentSource: Reuters
Cavendish looked overwhelmed at the finish in NiceSource: AP
Peta was there to cool her husband downSource: AFP
Cavendish praises huge achievement, but all signs point to retirementSource: AP
Cavendish then relaxed with his children and may now have more time for his familySource: Reuters

Cavendish, 39, appeared overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event as he crossed the finish line after the 33.7km final stage from Monaco to Nice.

That’s not because he won the Lanterne Rouge (Red Lantern), a respected prize for finishing last in the Tour’s general classification.

It is a unique prize, which offers a high starting fee, which some riders actively fight for if they know they will finish at the bottom of the rankings.

Instead, Cavendish responded by acknowledging that his 19-year reign as the greatest sprinter of all time is over.

The three-time world championship gold medalist said this afterwards when asked if it was his last race.

Cavendish replied, “Yes, I think so.”

It is less than three weeks after he overtook Eddy Merckx’s total of 34 Tour de France stage wins after a three-year wait.

Spectators cheered the Briton as he won the Lanterne Rouge.

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Cavendish raised his fist high as he approached the final straight.

And after crossing the finish line, he bent over and gave his Astana-Qazaqstan teammates a long hug.

British legend Mark Cavendish, 39, breaks Tour de France record for most stage wins ever after thrilling sprint finish

He looked like he was wiping tears from under his glasses and seemed to be struggling to process such an important event.

His wife Peta Todd held his face for a kiss that looked meaningful.

She also smiled as she poured water over her face, soaked with sweat and emotion, as Cavendish closed his eyes.

Fans praised his performance and the Tour de France posted a message that spoke for many: “

@MarkCavendish completed #TDF2024. Thanks for everything Mark, you’re a LEGEND!”

Spectators cheered the most famous rider of the Astana Qazaqstan TeamSource: Reuters
Cavendish and Peta took center stage Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan and his wife Peta Todd are pictured after stage 21, the final stage of the 2024 Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial from Monaco to Nice, France (33.7 km) on Sunday, July 21, 2024. The 111th edition of the Tour de (…)Credit: Rex
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