Cavendish confirms plan to retire at the end of the season

Manx cyclist turned 38 over the weekend

Mark Cavendish has confirmed he will be retiring at the end of this season.

The Manx cyclist, who turned 38 over the weekend, is currently racing in the Giro d'Italia with Astana Qazaqstan.

He told a press conference there: "Cycling has been my life for over 25 years."

"It's taught me so much about life, dedication, loyalty, sacrifice and perseverance - all important things to pass on now as a father.

"The bike's given me opportunities to see the world, meet incredible people who are involved and not involved in the sport - a lot of whom I call friends.

"Today it's my son Casper's fifth birthday; it's a rest day and I can spend that with them now. Now it's important to be there for every birthday, every school concert - important I can be there for them."

Cav is still expected to race the Tour de France in July, where he'll be aiming to break the all-time record of 34 stage wins that he currently shares with Eddy Merckx.

During his career, he's won 161 races and two green points jerseys at the TdF.

🎙️ “This will be my final @giroditalia and 2023 will be my final season…” - @MarkCavendish #Giro #GirodItalia #AstanaQazaqstanTeam pic.twitter.com/ofcvGwESRU

— Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) May 22, 2023