Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in Volume 7 of B.H. Magazine, order your copy now.
Mark Cavendish needs little introduction: a 35-time stage winner, the British cyclist is the most successful sprinter in Tour de France history and one of the defining athletes of his generation.
For two decades, Cavendish was at the sharp end of professional cycling before finally calling time on his career in 2024, so for V7 of B.H. Magazine, we sat down with him at the opening of the new Richard Mille boutique at the foot of Capella Sydney to talk about the decision to walk away, the record-breaking victory that made it possible, his relationship with Richard Mille, and what comes next in life after racing.
B.H. Magazine: You announced your retirement at the end of 2023, then came back for one final year. What went into that decision, and how hard was it mentally to get ready when you’d already expected to stop?
Mark Cavendish: The hardest thing physically was the collarbone. I needed a bone graft from my hip, which took a long time to recover from. With anything in life, if you stop and then have to start again, the initial phase is the hardest – like getting fit after a long break. But honestly, it was my kids that got me back on the bike. They said, ‘What do you mean you’re no longer racing?’ And then standing on the podium with them the following year – that alone made it worth it.
You've achieved more Tour de France stage wins than any rider in history. What drove you into the saddle each morning?
I want to say fear of failure, but it's not really that. I just love winning. I was brought up to work as hard as I could, and I’m raising my kids the same way. I genuinely believe – and it's not a cliché – that if you want to achieve something badly enough and you work hard enough, you can achieve it. In sport, I always believed that extra kilometre, that extra ten minutes, would make the difference.
The 35th stage win, breaking Eddy Merckx's record – what did that moment feel like?
It was a weight lifted. It wasn't relief from finishing something – it was more about knowing there could never be any regret. No lying awake at 60, thinking, ‘I wish I'd tried one more time.’ I'd rather regret trying something than regret not trying. That's what it was.
People describe you as one of the most competitive riders ever. Can you switch that off when you’re not on the bike?
I've always been competitive – spelling tests at school, board games, everything. My kids are the same. We don't play Monopoly at Christmas anymore for a reason. But since I stopped racing, I've actually calmed down. If I'm out riding and an amateur wants to race me, I have zero interest. That part of my ego has gone. I don't need to prove anything anymore.
What's changing in cycling? Riders like Pogacar breaking away for 50 or 100 kilometres and holding off the peloton – does that excite you?
Absolutely. Anything that goes against the norm stands out and creates excitement. Cycling needed something fresh, and he’s it for the sport right now.
How important is your relationship with Richard Mille?
It's not a band of brothers; it's a family. A real family company, lived from the inside. And it's not just the partners or the athletes – clients are part of that family too. You're not part of a club or a customer base. You meet people through the brand and become brothers and sisters. Some of my best friendships have come through Richard Mille.
Life after racing – what does that look like?
I'm travelling more now than when I was racing, but I'm living the dream. For 20 years, I couldn’t eat what I wanted or really do what I wanted. Having a proper summer holiday this year – being in the south of France in August, throwing the kids in the pool, jumping on the trampoline – was everything. Just being a dad. That's been the best thing.
If you could distill 20 years of racing into one lesson, what would it be?
Don't quit. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise if you fundamentally believe in something. You decide when something is over, not anyone else. That's the lesson of my life, and what I try to teach my kids. I wrote a whole book about it.
What’s your proudest moment – not racing, just life?
Being a dad.